No Need for Dragonballs
by Russbuster
Summary: A story originally meant to alleviate boredom, but had blossomed into a full fledged novel combining the Tenchi OAV and Universe with Dragonball Z like characters in a story of action, drama, and the usual romance. This thing was finished in 2002.
1. A New Friend

Ep. 1 - A New Friend

Tenchi Muyo and Dragonball Z is owned/copyrighted by their respective companies.

I'm Russell Piper, and what you're about to read is my first real attempt at a fanfiction. It's based around Tenchi Universe (Tenchi TV) and the OVA so most of the main characters you've seen from there will appear here as well. It also crosses a bit with Dragonball Z with the existence of Dragonballs and immensely powerful warriors. Ryoko and Tenchi had finally chosen to be together, and Aeka is still living at the house for now. You'll see when it happens. Anyway, I'll stop flapping my yap and let you get right to the story. Enjoy! Send all hate mail / fan mail to .

It was the beginning of a beautiful day, with the sun just beginning to crest the distant mountains and the first rays of sunlight falling into the valley where Tenchi's house was located. Birds were chirping, the crickets were quieting down for the day, and a light breeze was blowing the warm summer air into Tenchi's room. It was approaching seven o'clock am, and it was about time for the house to get going. Tenchi began to stir slightly. Still groggy with sleep, he rubbed his eyes and slowly sat up in bed. He stretched and yawned, and looked out the window to the beginning of another day. Once again, he was already dressed, since he had a bad habit of sleeping with his clothes on. He yawned again and tossed back his covers from the bed and looked for his slippers, which were nowhere to be found. Undaunted, he got up and looked around his room. Finding his slippers at the foot of the bed, he slid his feet into them, walked to his door, and just as he was about to slide the door open he felt a couple of arms grab his shirt.

"Good Morning, Tenchi." Ryoko was floating in the air and had wrapped her arms around Tenchi in a hug. She landed with a light thud on the floor, still keeping her arms wrapped around him. She had on a very pretty light blue dress with a blue and purple sash. This one particular dress didn't have a tail attached to it. He rolled his eyes, smiled, and gently took Ryoko's arm and unwrapped himself.

"Good Morning to you too, Ryoko." He yawned again and started walking down the hallway to the washroom. "Stop moving my slippers around the room."

She ignored the last comment. "Tenchiii, where are you going?" She questioned in that tone that usually meant she was in a flirting mood.

"I need to use the washroom. I had a lot to drink last night and well, I need to do what comes naturally." He slid open the door and stepped inside. He glanced back at Ryoko. "And please stay out this time, okay? Privacy is a good thing." He slid the door closed.

Once again, Ryoko was standing outside with a dejected look on her face. "Um… Are you sure you'll be alright in there?" She giggled, remembering the first time she did that. She then began scratching at the door.

Inside, Tenchi removed his shirt and tossed it into the growing pile of clothes. Noticing how the pile was now 2 feet tall, he realized that he'd need to do the laundry real soon. Wandering over to the toilet, he pulled his shorts down and sat down. Remembering what happened a long time ago, he glanced at the wall, which this time didn't have Ryoko's head poking through it. Sighing in relief, he grabbed a magazine that was sitting on the bathroom sink. Thumbing through a few pages and finding nothing of interest, he placed it back onto the sink, stood up, and hitched up his shorts. He grabbed a bath towel and a washrag that were nearby and slung them over his shoulder. He could still hear Ryoko scratching at the bathroom door. He laughed to himself, remembering the days after his fight with Kagato and how Ryoko acted so silly.

"Ryoko, I'm coming out, so don't fall on your face again."

"Oh, alright!" She backed away from the door as Tenchi slid it open.

"I'm going to go take a bath before breakfast. See you at the table, okay?" He started walking downstairs with Ryoko right on his heels, trying to grab him for another hug.

"Oh! I'll take one with you!" She grabbed Tenchi's hand and floated into the air with him hanging below.

"No!!! I mean… I'm not going to be long. Please put me down and go wait for breakfast on the couch or something. I didn't have the greatest night's rest so I'm still a bit sleepy. I'm sure I'll feel better after a quick bath. Now please, go do something useful." He remembered the huge pile of laundry in the bathroom. "I've got an idea, why not do the wash? There's a pile of clothes in the bathroom almost two feet tall! If you need help, I'm sure my dad or Sasami would be glad to help you."

"Ohhh, but I'd rather take a bath right now with you," she whined.

Tenchi sighed and walked across the yard to the lake with the floating onsen over it. Just before he put his foot into the lake water, he was teleported to the entrance. Ryoko was right behind him. He looked back at her with his face red. She had a huge smile on her face, and she giggled lightly. He opened the door and walked inside. The humid air rushed into his nostrils as he took in a deep breath. Walking behind a tree, and making sure Ryoko wasn't watching, he removed his shorts and wrapped his bath towel around his waist. He stepped out from behind the tree and saw Ryoko, butt naked. He turned super red and his nose started to bleed. He quickly turned away and stepped into the warm water. Ryoko laughed.

"You're still as shy as I remember." She moved over toward Tenchi and grabbed him in another hug. "Ahhh, this is the life. Don't you feel comfortable and relaxed here, Tenchi?"

He nodded. "Yeah, this is a very nice and calming place to be. It feels so good hearing the waterfalls and sitting here in the warm water."

She watched him dreamily. She loved him so much and whenever he agreed with her, it served to strengthen her bond with him even more. She sighed calmly and smiled sweetly. "I could just sit here all day, couldn't you?"

"No, not really. I hate it when my skin gets pruned, and secondly, I've got too many chores to take care of to even consider it. Sorry Ryoko, but I've got to be a busybody like Sasami around the house because nothing gets themselves done. Today I've got to go to the field and get another basket of carrots and I've got a variety of other things to do as well."

Ryoko frowned. "Oh… okay then. Well, wouldn't want you to get behind schedule!" She grabbed his washcloth and a bar of soap. "Ready for me to wash your back and then you can wash mine?"

"Yes, and thank you, Ryoko." He again turned red. She giggled again, lathered up the washrag and gently began scrubbing his back.

As usual, Sasami was up before everybody else. She had a very good night sleep, since she was usually exhausted from the tasks from the day before. She was wearing her usual pink and blue dress, with sash. She was already preparing a massive breakfast of various favorite foods for the family. Grabbing a kitchen knife, she speedily sliced up a bunch of carrots and tossed them into the frying pan. Grabbing the salt, she sprinkled a little onto the vegetables, and put it back into its place on the counter. She started humming a happy tune to herself as she lowered the heat to allow the food to simmer. Ryo-Ohki was nearby, quietly meowing to herself and watching Sasami with interest. She saw her slice up the carrots and toss them into the pan, which really got her mouth watering. Feeling mischievous and daring this morning, she lightly hopped up onto the counter behind Sasami and found a couple carrots that weren't touched yet. Her eyes flashed toward Sasami, who didn't notice her. Grabbing a carrot, she darted off the counter and tore through the kitchen into the living room. Sasami turned just in time to see a blur of orange and brown go tearing out of the room.

"Ryo-Ohki! Come back here with that!" Sasami started to go after Ryo-Ohki, then stopped. "Oh, you… oh well. We have tons of carrots anyway." She turned her attention back to the stove for a moment to make sure everything was cooking okay, and then she quickly went out to the shed. She slid open the door and walked in without turning on the light. Walking to the basket of carrots, she pulled out three small ones. She slid the door closed after exiting the shed and went back to the kitchen. She washed the carrots and put them up on the counter with the other ones. Grabbing a washrag, she quickly wiped down the counter in preparation for another dish she was going to prepare.

A few minutes later, she checked the time. It was nearing seven fifty. She then went to the dining table and set the tablecloth. She then placed nine pairs of chopsticks for everybody in the center of the table. She placed a dozen plates next to the chopsticks, and then got out the cloth napkins and placed those next to the plates. Heading back into the kitchen, she grabbed two of the five dishes and brought those out to the table and set them down. She returned to the kitchen and somehow managed to grab all three plates at once. She returned to the table and set those down in the center. She saw Tenchi's father sitting on the couch.

"Breakfast will be ready in just a few more minutes! I hope you're good and hungry! We have lots to eat today."

"Thank you, Sasami. You're such a good cook and always so bright and cheery in the morning. It sure does smell good." His mouth started watering. He loved Sasami's cooking. He then turned his attention back to his newspaper as Sasami returned to the kitchen.

Aeka looked at the clock in her bedroom. It was 7:50am, so she decided it was time to get going. Groaning lightly and stretching, half the joints in her body cracked and popped as her body was still waking up. She turned a little red and glanced around the room to see if anybody else was present. Finding herself alone, she tossed back her covers and got up. Walking to the closet, she picked out her usual purple dress robe and sash and put them on. She decided not to wear the second layer of clothing since it already felt like it was going to be a very warm day. Moving over toward the window, she pulled back the curtain and peered outside, squinting from the bright sunshine.

"Mmmm, today is going to be another beautiful day." She took in a deep breath of fresh air. She felt so calm and peaceful today.

She noticed some movement in the onsen over the lake. "Hmm, I wonder who is in there this early in the morning?" Grabbing a pair of binoculars that she kept in one of her storage bins, she again peered inside the onsen. Seeing Tenchi and Ryoko in there, she turned a little red, realizing she just was peeping on both of them. She sighed, and put the binoculars back into the bin. She was disappointed when Tenchi had chosen Ryoko over her, but she was a good sport about it. She realized that it was his choice to make and no amount of pressure could change his mind. She felt a little lonely since that day, but Tenchi was still always very nice to her, and continued to allow her to stay at his home. He comforted her when she was feeling down, much to the displeasure of Ryoko. So she decided to remain at his home, to be his personal guardian.

She yawned, and walked out of her room, closing the door behind her. Wandering downstairs, she heard the usual noises from the kitchen. Nobuyuki was also awake, sitting on the couch reading his newspaper. He nodded in her direction when she passed by.

"Breakfast will be ready in just a few moments. Sasami has already put most of the food on the table."

"Ah, okay. I'll go and see if Sasami needs any help." She smiled sweetly and went into the kitchen.

"Sasami? Is everything all right in here? Do you need any help with anything?" She looked at her little sister who was frantically trying to clean up the mess.

"Oh, Aeka! Yes, could you please grab a washrag and just wipe off that counter behind me? Then after that, could you go get everybody and tell everyone breakfast is ready? Tenchi and Ryoko are…"

"Yes, I know where they're at." She turned red.

"Um… okay. And you know where Washu and Grandfather are. That's all, thank you sis." She smiled her cutest way.

Aeka quickly wiped down the counter and then went outside. She walked around the house until she could see the lake and the floating onsen, and walked toward it. Just before stepping into the lake itself, she was transported to the entrance. She turned red again, and quietly rapped on the door.

"Ryoko? Tenchi? Breakfast is ready. Come and get it before it gets cold." She opened the door and peered inside.

Tenchi and Ryoko were sitting with their backs to her, but Tenchi heard Aeka open the door. He turned. "Okay, Aeka. We'll be out of here in a moment. Thanks for telling us." He smiled at her, and in doing so, made Ryoko feel a ping of jealousy. However, she held her tongue and didn't say anything, since she did know how Aeka felt after Tenchi had made his choice. She herself would have been devastated if she were rejected over Aeka or anybody else for that matter.

Aeka closed the door and turned. She still had feelings for Tenchi, but she was still feeling lonely. This was the second time she has been left alone. The first time was with her brother, Yosho, and now again with Tenchi. She sighed and walked toward the edge of the onsen, where she was transported to the ground below. Making her way across the yard, she turned and looked back, still wishing Tenchi could be with her.

She went back inside and made her way to Washu's lab. Stepping through the door into subspace, she found the other door directly in front of her. She opened it and stepped into the lab. Washu was seen at her usual place in front of her computer, diligently working the hours away. Aeka rattled the crab noisemaker that she kept over the door to let her know of visitors. She stopped typing for a moment and looked over her shoulder.

"What is it? I'm a bit busy here now." She looked tired and irritated at something.

"Excuse me Little Washu, but breakfast is now ready. Sasami prepared a very nice meal for us today." She looked at the floor while fumbling with her clothes.

Washu sighed and stood up. "I could use some food right about now. I was getting cranky from working all night on an empty stomach." She grinned. "I guess it's time for some brain fuel. What did Sasami make for us today?"

"I really didn't look at what she did make. But you know Sasami can make anything taste real good. She's such an excellent cook."

"Yes, I'd have to agree with you there. Well, let's go. I'm starved!" Washu opened the door and gestured for Aeka to step out first.

"Thank you Little Washu." She left the lab with Washu right behind her. "Oh, I still have to go get Grandfather. I'll be back in a few minutes, so just get comfortable at the table, all right? Tenchi and Ryoko will be joining us very shortly." Aeka checked the time. It was almost eight o'clock.

Washu went over to the table, exclaiming at all the food that was available. Her computer appeared in front of her as she analyzed the balance of nutrients from the various foods. Just one of her favorite things she enjoyed doing. Aeka giggled softly and left for the shrine. As she got to the long stairway, she could see Grandfather already on his way down. She waved toward him and he waved back.

"Breakfast is ready. Come and get it while it's still hot," she said as he reached the bottom step. He grinned and they both walked off to the table together.

Kiyone and Mihoshi were still on early morning patrol. They had just completed a hard day's work and were both tired and hungry for some real food.

"These ration bars that HQ calls food is horrible. Tastes like cardboard," complained Mihoshi, who had finally gotten hungry enough to try to eat one.

"Well, they will keep us alive if we ever do have to eat them. Why couldn't you have waited another five minutes? We'll be home by then, and Sasami will have breakfast all ready for us." Kiyone looked at Mihoshi with disgust and irritation. She still couldn't understand why Mihoshi would act like such a ditz so often. Even the simplest tasks she would botch. It was amazing she could even breathe on her own. Kiyone continued to scowl, but her expression softened and she hit the throttle, causing the patrol ship to accelerate to a higher speed.

"Well, I just got so hungry, and I had to eat something," she complained again. "Well, we'll be home in a few minutes so I guess that's okay."

After about five minutes of silence, they entered Earth's atmosphere, and sped toward Tenchi's house. They could still see the shadowy line of night and day from Earth's orbit. A minute later, they were hovering over his house. They landed in the backyard, exited the ship, and then put the ship into subspace, where it would be protected from thieves and the elements. The perfect garage!

Walking inside, they could see everybody just getting seated around the dining table. "Right on time." Kiyone smiled and waved. Everybody turned toward them and waved back.

"Welcome back, Kiyone and Mihoshi," Aeka said from her seat beside Tenchi. "Did everything go okay out there today?"

"Yeah, we didn't have a single emergency or call today. It was seven hours of pure boredom. Mihoshi of course just watched TV almost the whole time. When she wasn't doing that, she was sleeping."

"Hey, I was paying attention to the radar scope too, you know."

"How could you have been paying attention to it when you were sleeping!!!" Kiyone shouted. Mihoshi just looked taken aback. She turned red, but didn't say anything.

"Well, girls, just come on over here and eat breakfast. There is plenty to go around, so dig in!" Tenchi said from his position between Aeka and Ryoko. Kiyone and Mihoshi both took their usual seats opposite of Tenchi and Ryoko and each grabbed a plate, a pair of chopsticks, and a napkin.

"Wow, Sasami, you really went out of your way today? Is there any special occasion?" Kiyone inquired.

"No, I just felt really good today and wanted to prepare a nice meal for everybody." Sasami responded.

"Yum! Mihoshi, could you please pass the shrimp tempura?" Washu asked.

"Sure! Here you go." She lifted the plate and passed it over Kiyone's head, spilling a little of the juice right on her hair. "Uh, oops. Sorry Kiyone."

She just glared at her, and wiped the juice up with her napkin. "Well, I need a bath anyway. Don't worry about it. Just don't pass things over people's heads anymore, alright?"

"Tenchi, could you please pass the miso soup?" Washu smiled at him.

"Sure, here you are."

"Thanks."

Everybody ate breakfast in earnest. It vanished within twenty minutes, and all that was left was a mess of empty plates and full stomachs. Out of nowhere, Tenchi let out the biggest belch he ever made. Everybody stared at him, and then started laughing. He turned red and started laughing too.

"Ahhh," he said. "Gone, but not forgotten. Sorry about that. It came out of nowhere."

Everybody was still chuckling and giggling. Especially Ryoko.

"Wow Tenchi! I never knew you had that kind of power in you, my boy!" She slapped him on the back.

Everybody started laughing again, except for Aeka, who just started at the stack of dirty dishes. She got up along with everybody else and grabbed the dishes, then went into the kitchen with Sasami.

"What's the matter, Aeka?" Sasami looked concerned since her sister didn't find the event earlier funny at all.

"Oh, nothing. Sorry, Sasami. Can I help you with the dishes?"

"That's okay, I can take care of this stuff myself. Just go take it easy today. You've been busy for the entire week so far and you deserve a break."

"But you don't look to take a break." Aeka looked dejected.

"Well, that's because I choose not to. I love being a busybody, always doing something around the house. I love being busy. Back on Jurai it was boring because I never did anything fun or otherwise. Here, it's different. I know what it's like to be a normal person, and I love it."

"I see. Okay, maybe I'll go do the laundry or something. It's been a while since anybody has done that."

Aeka turned and left the kitchen with Sasami watching her with a real concerned look on her face.

In outer space, a small space pod was hurtling toward Earth. Its sole occupant was a male, about twenty-two in age. He was human in appearance and well built. He was wearing normal Earth clothes. He had on a normal pair of blue pants with a light blue, logo-less t-shirt. He had black, spiky hair and black eyes. He was in stasis for the entire duration of his trip. The computer system onboard the space pod, upon detecting Earth on its sensors, initiated the wakeup sequence. It initiated a vapor bath, and then started beeping.

Groaning and stretching, he started to come around. He shook his head and rubbed the sleep out of his eyes. Yawning and stretching again, he hit the button on the computer console to stop the horrid beeping noise. Punching in few buttons, he initiated voice commands.

"Voice commands ready," his computer responded in its feminine voice.

"Computer, where are we?"

"We are approaching Earth. Estimated time of arrival, ten minutes."

"Computer, have you detected the presence of Zorpheus on this planet?"

"Negative."

"Whew. That's good. I made it here before he did. Computer, scan for ki signatures."

"Scanning… Multiple ki signatures found. Displaying them from most powerful to least powerful."

He watched the numbers scroll up his display.

"Hmm… only a hundred for the most powerful? Well, that's nothing to worry about. Computer, land our ship nearby those powers, but do it discretely. I don't want to attract any attention."

"Affirmative."

He sighed to himself. He blessed his good fortune for making it to this planet before his rival had. Zorpheus still had to figure out what planet he needs to go to for his treasure. That treasure is something known as Dragonballs. According to legend, these seven balls, when brought together, can summon a great dragon, which can grant wishes. The thought of immortality was too much for Zorpheus to bear, and he desired that above all else. He became obsessive, and stopped at nothing to get his wish. Being his partner and friend for a long time, he tried to sway Zorpheus from this wish, but to no avail. Both Zorpheus and he were very close in strength. However, Zorpheus was slightly weaker and slower. But knowing his rival well, he was certain that Zorpheus was training at his hardest.

His spacecraft started howling as it entered the Earth's atmosphere. "One minute till landing," his computer quipped. The new arrival to planet Earth sat back and waited for landing.

Yosho had returned to his shrine on top of the hill. He was still full from breakfast. For once, he really indulged himself and over-ate a little so now he was feeling the after-affects of it. He entered the office and sat down at his table to continue his work. He started working, but this time he was distracted. He could sense someone coming up to the shrine. This is unusual, but it's always nice to have someone new pay respects to the shrine. He sensed him finally making his way to the top of the hill, and felt him move toward the shrine office. Assuming this person wanted to visit or discuss something with him, he stood back up and walked back toward his door, just as the visitor knocked on it.

He slid back the door and was taken aback. The man was quite tall, nearly as tall as he was. Well built too.

"Hello. How can I help you," questioned Yosho.

"Hi." He looked quizzically at Yosho. "Aren't you Prince Yosho?"

Again, Yosho was surprised. "How did you know that? Almost nobody knows that name." He looked into his black eyes.

"I can sense your ki level. I've sensed it before quite a while ago. Your ki signature matches that of Prince Yosho, of Jurai." He smiled.

"Ki level? What are you talking about?"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I forgot. You refer to it as your Jurai power. I'm referring to your life force."

"I see. But, who are you?"

"Oh, I'm sorry, I haven't introduced myself. My name is Russ." He extended his hand.

Yosho looked surprised, but he took his hand and smiled. "Pleased to make your acquaintance, Russ. Please, join me inside here so we can talk. You can explain why you're here. I can tell you're not human, and you're very strong. Strange though, why do you have a human name?"

"Correct. I'm actually from a race called Sayajin. Or, everybody just calls us Sayins. We're human in appearance, aside from everybody having spiky black hair, black pupils, and some of us have a tail. My name is definitely Earth-based. My parents had visited Earth many years ago, and decided then that I would have a human name. But anyway, thank you for the invite. I'd love to discuss some things with you." He looked back into Yosho's violet eyes.

The room was well lit and was actually quite comfortable. Russ could hear the birds chirping and feel a soft breeze blowing through the room. The sun was nice and bright, and it just felt good to be on a planet again. Being in a sterile spaceship for over nine months was enough to drive anybody insane.

"Please, have a seat." Yosho took a seat across the table. He picked up a pot of green tea, and poured two cups. He slid the second cup over to Russ, who picked it up and took a sip. He grimaced, finding that he did not like the flavor of it at all.

But to be polite, he smiled and swallowed. "Thanks. I haven't had a natural beverage in a long time."

Yosho chuckled. "It's okay if you don't like it. It's an acquired taste." He shifted positions to an Indian style posture. "So, please, explain why you're here."

Russ sighed. "I'm here to stop an evil that will eventually make its way to Earth. Unfortunately, I really can't tell you more than that. Doing so could really mess up a lot of things on this planet. But in a way, I'm here to protect this planet and it's inhabitants against a very powerful foe. This man is on a quest, and his quest will eventually bring him here." Russ had a worried look on his face.

Yosho noticed it. "You're worried, aren't you?"

Russ looked back at Yosho. "Yes, of course. He's nearly as strong as I am. I'm going to need to train a lot in order to stay ahead of him. The problem is that I'm not sure where I can train and keep it secret from everybody else. Secondly, I don't have anywhere to stay. I'm here alone. I came in a tiny little space pod which is only large enough to seat one person moderately comfortably, but even so, it's no place to live."

Yosho looked back at Russ, who as now staring out the window. "You're welcome to stay with us if you want. We're already pretty crowded, but I think we can fit one more. You'll share a room with my grandson, Tenchi. He's a very nice, well-mannered young man. He's a little younger than you are… I think. But that's irrelevant anyway. What do you think?"

Russ looked back at Yosho and smiled. "I appreciate your offer. Lead the way! Oh, one more thing. I have a voracious appetite. I don't expect you to take care of me. But I do appreciate the roof over my head."

"Hey, it's no problem. We have a few people at the house who eat way more than most do anyway."

"Thanks again. I very much appreciate it." Russ and Yosho both stood up and opened the door out to the shrine, slowly making their way over to Tenchi's home.


	2. Training Begins

Episode 2 – Training Begins

Tenchi Muyo and Dragonball Z is owned/copyrighted by their respective companies.

I'm Russell Piper, and what you're about to read is my first real attempt at a fanfiction. It's based around Tenchi Universe (Tenchi TV) and the OVA so most of the main characters you've seen from there will appear here as well. It also crosses a bit with Dragonball Z with the existence of Dragonballs and immensely powerful warriors. Ryoko and Tenchi had finally chosen to be together, and Aeka is still living at the house for now. You'll see when it happens. Anyway, I'll stop flapping my yap and let you get right to the story. Enjoy! Send all hatemail/fanmail to .

Prince Yosho slid the door open to the Misaki home and stepped inside, with Russ following behind him. Entering the living room, Russ saw Nobuyuki sitting on the couch. The room had a cozy feeling about it. It had lots of lighting, and was of an interesting design. A stairway was to his left, and the couch with the coffee table was in the middle of the room on top of a nice rug. There was a TV in one corner, with a karaoke machine near it. Nobody else was in the room, but he could hear other noises throughout the house, which told him other people, were here. Nobuyuki looked up from his paper and looked surprised at seeing his father come back with a visitor.

"Hey Dad, who's the new guy?" Not giving Yosho the opportunity to answer, he put his paper aside and stood up. "Hi there, I'm Nobuyuki. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Russ blushed, since he wasn't used to being accepted so quickly. He was more used to having someone scrutinize his appearance first. "How do you do. I'm Russ, and it's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He extended his hand.

"Ahhh, okay then, Russ." He took his hand and shook it. He was surprised by how much muscle Russ had in his arms and hands. He winced slightly at the crushing pressure. "Wow, that's quite a grip you've got there. So, tell me, why are you here?"

Russ started to answer, but was interrupted.

"Russ is here on vacation." Yosho looked over at Russ to see if he had a problem with that. Seeing none, he continued. "If it's okay, he'll be staying with us for a while. Do you think he can share a room with Tenchi?"

"Well, Ryoko has been wanting to move to Tenchi's room, for obvious reasons. If Tenchi agrees, we can do that, and Russ can take Ryoko's old room. Is that okay with you, Russ?"

"No problem. I just appreciate a nice comfortable place to sleep. I appreciate your hospitality."

"My, my. So polite!" Nobuyuki grinned, causing Russ to blush again. "Well, let's get started, shall we? I'll introduce you to everybody."

Nobuyuki turned away. "Girls! Tenchi! Come on over to the living room! We have a new visitor!"

Russ heard a bunch of footsteps start thumping throughout the house. Normally, he can't stand being the center of attention, especially in front of a group of people. Having a severe case of stage fright will do that to a man. But he sighed and calmed himself down. The first person to enter the living room was Sasami. She looked over at Nobuyuki, and then over at Russ. She gasped slightly, and covered her mouth with her hand. Russ looked over at her and smiled warmly.

Russ squatted down and relaxed a bit. "Hi there." He was surprised at how cute she was. "How are you doing? I'm Russ, at your service."

Sasami smiled and walked over to him. She gave a little bow. "How are you doing? My name is Sasami. It's a pleasure to meet you." She offered her hand.

He carefully grasped it and gave it a little kiss. Sasami grew red, but smiled. Just then, Aeka and her guardians came into the room. She looked at Russ and almost face-faulted. She recovered quickly at her initial shock and smiled widely, blushing all the while. She couldn't believe how handsome he was. Russ glanced up from Sasami and stood up, giving Aeka a full view of his height and muscles. He too was taken aback. He had never seen anyone so beautiful as her before. It was almost love at first sight.

"H… hi." Russ swallowed and stumbled his way over to Aeka, turning red. "I'm Russ, and I'm honored to meet you." He knelt down, took her hand and gave it a little kiss.

Aeka turned red, but she managed a respectable smile, trying to keep from giggling at his chivalry. It had been a couple years since she was treated like that before. She had almost forgotten that she is a princess, since she had been living as an Earthling for so long. "Hello. I'm Aeka. And the honor is mine. I'm… flattered to meet you."

Russ stood back up, still blushing. Nobuyuki elbowed Yosho who had a cocky grin on his face. Sasami just looked on with mild interest. Romance didn't appeal to her yet.

Azaka and Kamadake slid forward, beside Aeka. "How do you do sir," they said in unison. Russ took a step back with a look of shock.

"Those logs are talking!"

Sasami giggled. "They're not really logs, that's Azaka and Kamadake, our servants," she explained.

Russ looked back at the two, and scratched the back of his head. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean any disrespect. I've never seen anything like you two before. It's nice to meet you both." He gave a small bow.

The log with the red design spoke. "The pleasure is ours. We are the guardians of Princess Aeka. I'm Kamadake."

"And I'm Azaka. It's nice to meet you."

Russ just smiled at both of them. He was about to say something else when Kiyone and Mihoshi both entered the living room. They both looked pretty tired and worn out. Russ took a few steps back from Aeka and turned his attention to the two young women who were now making their way down the stairs. Both Kiyone and Mihoshi were both beautiful and attractive. They were also in uniform. They both looked over at Russ as they made their way downstairs.

"Hello there. How are you doing? I'm Kiyone, and this here is my partner, Mihoshi."

Mihoshi smiled and giggled. She found Russ quite attractive as well.

Russ bowed his head, still smiling. "Hello, it's nice to meet you both. I'm Russ. What are you partners in, anyway?"

"Oh, we're partners forever! We both work for the Galaxy Police." Mihoshi grabbed Kiyone in a hug.

Kiyone, on the other hand, narrowed her eyes at Mihoshi. She sighed in defeat, and then offered Russ her hand, which he grasped gently and shook. Both Kiyone and Mihoshi couldn't stop staring at his muscles. They've never seen anyone built or as well defined as he was. His hairstyle and eye color were really different too. Kiyone immediately knew that he wasn't a human. Mihoshi would not have noticed if Kiyone didn't say anything.

"It's nice to meet you. How come you're here? You… don't resemble any human we know of."

"I'm here on vacation, and you're right. I'm not a human. I'm from a race known as Saiya-jin. I was, however, born on this planet, and I had lived here for quite some time. I've only recently come back to visit it. I was surprised to find other people who aren't human on this planet."

Now Kiyone was a little suspicious. "How did you know where to find us?"

"Oh, that's easy. We have a technology that can detect your Jurai power. It's called a scouter. I had it localize your energy, so I could land nearby."

"Interesting." She still felt a little suspicious, as any good GP officer would, but she smiled anyway.

Sasami was still watching Russ. "You know, I bet Washu would love to see your scouter. She loves checking out new technology."

"Who's Washu?"

"She's our scientific genius around the house. You'll meet her shortly. She's a little cocky, and a little full of herself, but she is probably the smartest person in existence," Kiyone explained.

Russ laughed. "Well, I'd have a big ego too if I were in her position."

At that moment, Ryoko and Tenchi both entered the room from the outside. Russ had his back turned toward them, but he could sense them behind him. He turned around and took a look at both of them. Once again, Ryoko was hanging on Tenchi with a gigantic smile on her face while Tenchi just sighed and shook his head. Now noticing Russ, his eyes widened a little and he stopped in his tracks. Ryoko opened her eyes and glanced around the room, immediately noticing Russ as well. Already being deeply in love with Tenchi, she just narrowed her eyes at him, even though she did find him quite attractive. She didn't like most visitors since she was always suspicious that they were there to capture her for trial or some other reason. But lately, that feeling has been slipping away, since she's been out of trouble for so many years. Even Nagi quit pursuing her across the galaxy since there was no bounty left on her head, since her involvement in the last outrage with a second Kagato on Jurai.

Russ noticed Ryoko's slight glare, but didn't think too much of it. "Hello. I presume you're Tenchi, and you're Ryoko," he said, looking at them both. "It's nice to meet you two. My name is Russ. I'm here on vacation, and Yosho had offered to allow me to stay with you for a little while. If you guys don't mind, that is."

"Oh great. Another freeloader," Ryoko mumbled to herself.

Tenchi's eyes returned to normal and he smiled. "Hi, Russ. Well, if Grandpa says it's okay, then it's okay with me." Ryoko didn't say anything, but instead grasped Tenchi a little tighter. Tenchi turned to his dad. "What are we going to do about sleeping arrangements?"

"We figured it'd be okay if Ryoko moved into your room and we'd have Russ take her old room."

"Yippee!!! Oh, won't it be wonderful, Tenchi? We can sleep together and even take our baths together. We'll be inseparable!" Ryoko's smile grew super huge, and Tenchi knew she was thinking of something mischievous.

"Ryoko, we already do take most of our baths together. But anyway, I guess that will work out okay. Ryoko can have my bed and I'll sleep on the floor."

"Ohhh, Tenchi! We can have Washu fabricate us a nice big bed so we can both cradle and hold each other as we go off to sleep!" Tenchi started blushing. Russ on the other hand twisted his lip slightly and rolled his eyes. He had never had a girlfriend or any kind of relationship before and never had anyone hang on him like Tenchi currently did. He glanced back at Aeka, who was frowning and had her hands balled up into fists. Russ assumed that Aeka was still in love with Tenchi, but had apparently been rejected in favor of Ryoko. What he couldn't figure out is why she was still living here with those two, even though she seemed angry when she saw Ryoko hanging on Tenchi. He decided not to try not to assume anything else, since he had a bad habit of getting himself into trouble when he did. He just had too many incorrect assumptions.

"Well, you've met just about everybody. Would you like something to eat? We have some leftovers from breakfast and you're welcome to them," said Nobuyuki.

"It was a pleasure to meet you Russ. We're going to go back upstairs to sleep. We have to do another early morning patrol shift tomorrow," Kiyone said.

Mihoshi started whining. "I don't want to do that again! It's so boring!"

Kiyone just grabbed Mihoshi by the arm and hauled her up the stairs to their room, while she was still whining and complaining.

Russ watched them go. "Don't worry about them. They always argue and fight like that. Sometimes they can be quite comical," Ryoko said. Russ just continued to have a perplexed look on his face, but then he shrugged his shoulders.

Sasami looked back over at Russ. "Well, I have to get back into the kitchen and clean up the mess from breakfast. You're very welcome to join us for lunch if you want."

"Thank you very much… uh…" He scratched his head. "I'm sorry, but I forgot your name already. I'm terrible with names and I'm kind of forgetful."

Sasami giggled. "It's Sasami."

"Ahhh yes, Sasami. Thanks for the invite for lunch, but I only eat once a day. I've already eaten, so I won't be hungry for the rest of the day." He lied. He didn't want to eat everything in sight in the first five minutes of meeting everybody.

She looked a little disappointed. "Oh, okay. It's no big deal. You can eat with us tomorrow then!"

Russ snickered. "I'm afraid I don't think you have enough food to feed me, let alone all these other people." The remaining people in the room stared at him. Russ started perspiring a little. "What… Oh, I know. You don't know about a Saiyan's appetite. Let me put it to you this way. If you saw how much I normally eat, you'd think I was a pig. However, it's just a normal appetite." He smiled and tried to laugh.

"Well, our offer still stands. We may not be able to fill you up, but we'll do our best." Nobuyuki smiled.

"I've got to go to the field now and get more carrots. Hopefully I'll be back before lunchtime. See you guys later!" Tenchi turned and tried to walk out the door with Ryoko still hanging on him.

"See you later, Tenchi, Ryoko. It was nice meeting you."

Russ heard a meowing sound from behind him.

"Ryo-Ohki! There you are." Sasami knelt down and allowed the cabbit to jump onto her shoulder and then onto her head

Russ was flabbergasted. "I don't mean to be rude or anything, but what is that?"

"This is Ryo-Ohki, our family pet and spaceship. Isn't she cute?"

Russ grinned and walked over to Sasami. He reached over and scratched under Ryo-Ohki's chin as she meowed softly to herself and her tail bobbed back and forth. Sasami mentioning that the little creature was a spaceship flew completely over his head.

"Wow. She's so soft and cute too." Russ rubbed his nose. "Uh oh…"

He sneezed. He did his best to block it as he covered his nose and mouth. He sneezed again. "I knew it. Ryo-Ohki is part cat, isn't she?"

"Yes. She's part rabbit and part cat."

"I'm allergic to cats. I start sneezing like crazy around them. Problem is I love cats so it's hard for me to stay away from them." He sneezed again. "I need to go wash my hands. Can you show me where a sink is?"

"Sure, there's one right here in the kitchen. Follow me!" Sasami walked to a door at the end of the room and slid it back, and gestured for Russ to follow.

"Excuse me, everybody. If I don't take care of this now I'll sneeze myself into a headache." He chuckled, and then went into the kitchen.

Aeka watched him leave, and then turned back to Yosho. "Who is he really? Why is he here?"

"I told you already, Aeka, that he's visiting our planet after so many years of being away. There is nothing more to it than that."

Aeka still suspected more, but she didn't pursue the issue any further. "I still have laundry to do, so I'll get back to doing that." She walked over to the kitchen door. "It was nice to meet you Russ, but I have to get busy and do the wash."

Russ turned away from the sink and gazed into her violet eyes. "Okay, it was very nice to meet you. Don't work too hard, okay?" He winked, causing her to blush slightly.

Aeka went back upstairs to retrieve the mass of clothes while Azaka and Kamadake went outside to resume their guard duty at the front gate.

"Well, I must get back to the shrine and get back to work. Make sure he gets settled in okay, Nobuyuki?"

"Sure thing, Dad. You don't need to worry about anything." He returned to the couch and picked up his paper.

Yosho turned and walked out of the house, on his way back to the shrine. He stopped at the foot of the stairs and turned back toward the house. He couldn't help but wonder about this new guy. Sure, he was nice and friendly, and he did tell him why he was here, assuming it was truthful. But he just couldn't shake the feeling that something bad was going to happen. Yosho sensed his strength, and thought that Russ was just as strong as he was. He couldn't imagine anybody being stronger. Dismissing any further thought, he returned to the shrine.

Back inside the house, Russ had just finished washing his hands and was drying them. He looked over at Sasami who was staring at him the whole time. He cocked his eyebrow and let out a grunt. Sasami realized she was staring and looked away.

"Sorry about that. I've never seen anyone as muscular as you before."

"Oh, don't worry about it. I've been stared at before, but most people comment about my hair or my eyes." He looked outside at the bright daylight. "Well, Sasami, I should get to training now. I must stay in shape, you know."

"Okay then. If you want to come back for lunch, feel free to. I'll send someone out to get you, if you'll be easy to find."

"Thanks." He turned and walked out the back door while Sasami continued to watch him. She just couldn't get over how handsome he looked. She blushed slightly, and went to go help Aeka with the laundry.

Russ stood in the middle of a small clearing he found in the forest. Turns out it was Tenchi's training area. He took a deep breath, and began his warm-up exercises. He began with ten thousand push-ups, ten thousand sit-ups, and then ten thousand pull-ups. Feeling rather light on this planet, he did all his exercises at twice his normal pace. He tried to keep his ki suppressed to a reasonable level. He didn't want it getting too high or he may attract some attention from Yosho or another person who could detect a ki level.

Completing his warm-up exercises in about four hours, Russ decided it was time to spar. Taking up his typical defensive stance, he immediately zanzokened to the other side of the clearing and started a flurry of punches and kicks. Using his imagination, he pictured Zorpheus dodging and parrying all of his blows, laughing all the while. Undaunted, Russ continued his onslaught against his invisible opponent, punching and kicking at an astounding rate.

Changing his thoughts, he imagined Zorpheus now beginning to make his own attack, so he practiced dodging at a rapid pace. He leapt into the air and continued to move from side to side, up and down and all around. He zanzokened behind the imaginary Zorpheus and re-started his own offense. His fists resembled dual jackhammers as they moved back and forth, almost faster than a human eye could see. Zorpheus dodged them all, and did his own zanzoken behind Russ. He quickly turned and tried to put a foot in Zorpheus' face, but missed. Russ zanzokened to the ground again and looked up at his imaginary opponent, deciding that his imagination just wasn't real enough.

Russ decided to make himself a real sparring partner. He charged his ki up a bit. "Splitform," he shouted. A moment later, two Russ' were standing side by side. They turned toward each other, grinned, and zanzokened to another spot in the clearing.

"You think you're pretty good, don't you? Well, let's see you dodge this!" He threw a punch at his counterpart, who easily parried the blow. He started a flurry of punches and kicks, all of which were blocked or dodged. Getting annoyed, he raised his ki a little more and increased his speed. He managed to kick his counterpart in the stomach and double axe handle him to the ground, where he made a small indentation.

Russ stood back up and glared at his opponent. "Oh, can't fight me on my own level, eh? Fine. I'll come up to yours!" He charged his ki to match and flew back up to where Russ was still hovering. Staring at him for a moment, he jumped forward with a kick, trying to nail him in the face. His counterpart simply nodded his head to the side as the blow sailed harmlessly by. In return, he tried to bring his arm down onto his leg, but he zanzokened behind him and again tried to plant a kick into his head, this time succeeding and smashing him to the ground.

Russ spit out a mouthful of grass and dirt.

His opponent laughed. "You know, only cows and other farm animals are supposed to eat grass. Did you enjoy it?"

Russ groaned and stood back up again. "Actually, yeah. Here, why don't you try some?" He zanzokened behind his counterpart and tried to axe handle him on his head, but hit nothing but air. He looked around frantically but couldn't find him. Trying to sense where he vanished to, his danger sense went off like a dozen alarms and he zanzokened to another position as a flying, ki-enhanced kick sailed through his former position. Not expecting to miss, his counterpart lost control and smashed into the ground. Russ started laughing, which only served to get his opponent really irritated.

He felt his opponent's ki level rise sharply as he charged, once again getting into a melee of various punches and kicks. Russ had to raise his own power to match in order to keep up. By now, their ki levels had far surpassed any Jurai power in existence. And they were barely warmed up. They continued to spar fiercely, neither gaining any ground on the other.

Yosho felt two tremendous forces nearby. Sitting in shock, he couldn't believe the amount of energy the two beings were generating. He hoped Zorpheus wasn't here already. As he felt the two powers dart all over their battlefield, he noticed something peculiar. Their energy signatures were identical. Wanting to investigate further, he left the shrine, quickly heading over to the battleground. It was strange feeling them move so fast. One moment they were in the air, the next moment they were at another position, and again they moved all over the area like greased lightning.

Yosho's Jurai power was low enough for Russ not to notice it, since he was focused on the task of defeating his opponent. Finally nearing where he and Tenchi normally train, he could hear the sounds of two individuals shouting at each other, tossing an insult here and there, and the sounds of battle. Strange though, he could actually hear real strange noises from their special techniques coming from that area as well.

Approaching the clearing, he saw Russ and his opponent flash into view for a moment, and then blur out again. Yosho hid behind a tree and looked toward the clearing. He could see the two floating in midair, exchanging insults. He was really surprised. He had no idea they could fly. This was just getting really weird for him. The coup de grace came after he got a good look at both people. They were identical! He had no idea what was going on.

After their insulting match, the dual Russ' again engaged in combat. A flurry of fists and kicks were exchanged. Yosho could barely follow it. Their speed was incredible. He had never seen anything like it. And the amount of energy both were expelling was mind-boggling. Even at his own maximum power level, he could barely match the energy each individual was producing. He had a feeling that they didn't need to stop there either. Just how much energy could they have, anyway?

Finally gathering his wits about him, he stepped out from behind the tree and advanced to the clearing. Russ noticed some movement under him and put up his hand to signal his counterpart to cease fighting for a moment. Glancing down, he saw Yosho standing in the clearing, gesturing for them to come down to him.

Merging back into one form, Russ landed in front of him. Yosho noticed that Russ didn't even look like he was battling, aside from his now dirty clothes. He wasn't winded, wasn't sweating, or even the slightest bit tired out.

"That was incredible. I never thought you could produce as much energy as you were. And your speed and ability to fly is also remarkable. And how in the world did you split into two individual beings? Just what kind of evil is on it's way here to the planet and how in the world could he be as strong as you are?" Yosho looked genuinely concerned.

Russ wasn't smiling. "I don't know how long you were there, but I guess I should reveal a little more about me. The energy you felt from us… was miniscule. We were just sparring. Our maximum energy level is hundreds of thousands of times more powerful than that. I have enough energy to destroy an entire solar system with a single blast. I could destroy this entire planet with the flick of my pinky finger here. And Zorpheus can do the same thing." Yosho took a step back and had a look of fear in his eyes. "But anyway, to answer your other question, I used a special ability to create a sparring partner. It's called the Splitform technique. It allows me to create an exact duplicate of myself." He noticed Yosho's look of horror, and in response, he lowered his ki level to that of a normal human, and smiled. "Don't worry. I'm going to do my very best to protect this planet and its people. Don't be afraid of me. I would never do anything to hurt anyone unless they tried to hurt me first."

Yosho relaxed a little. "Amazing. Totally, completely, absolutely, amazing. I would've never guessed you could be that powerful. I do trust you. I felt your energy levels start going through the roof so I thought I'd come out here and see what was going on."

Russ laughed. "Hopefully you'll never have to see my full power. I'm still hoping diplomacy will work with Zorpheus, but I have a feeling that it isn't going to, so I need to train very hard in order to stay ahead of him. Another problem is the gravity on this planet isn't very high. The last planet I was at had a gravity level about eight times higher than this planet. It was great for training. My home world, or rather, where my race originated from, known as Vegeta, had a gravity of ten times Earth's normal gravity. That is one of the big secrets behind our strength. However, Vegeta was destroyed by an evil terror known as Frieza, who was the most vile, evil villain that had ever existed, although not the most powerful. However, our race was evil as well, at the time. Ironic, which one of the most powerful warrior races in the galaxy, was destroyed by another evil, which at the time controlled us."

Yosho listened with interest. "That's quite an amazing story. So you're a Saiya-jin from the planet Vegeta, and you're here to defend our planet against an evil that is just as powerful, if not more so, than you. Tell me this. What is this treasure, as you so refer to it as? Why is it so appealing to Zorpheus and not to you?"

Russ swallowed. "I'm afraid I can't tell you what they are, but they have the power to grant any wish that is within their power. What Zorpheus is after, is immortality."

Yosho's eyes widened. "You mean to tell me there is something on this planet that can grant eternal life to whoever wishes for it?"

"That's correct." He sighed. He felt that he could trust Yosho with just about anything. It was just something about him. "They're known as Dragonballs. They have the power to call forth a huge magical dragon that can grant two wishes to whoever summons it."

"Wow. Tell me, you're not immortal?"

"No. I may appear invincible with the enormous amount of strength and power I possess, but I am not, by any means, invincible or immortal."

"I see. Well, it's almost lunchtime. Would you care to join me for a bite to eat back home?"

Russ smiled. "Well, I am a little hungry. I'll do my best to eat in moderation. I haven't consumed any food for the last nine months during my long journey from the last planet I was at, also hunting for the location of the Dragonballs."

"Excellent. Let's go. And you can then meet Washu. I'm sure she can help you out with your training. Unfortunately, you'll probably have to reveal some of your secrets to her, like your strength. However, as far as hiding how much power you do have, is up to you."

"Okay, great. Let's go."

Both Russ and Yosho walked out of the clearing and back toward the steps, where they walked over to the Misaki home, where lunch was being prepared.


	3. A New Home

Episode 3 – A New Home

Tenchi Muyo and Dragonball Z is owned/copyrighted by their respective companies.

I'm Russell Piper, and what you're about to read is my first real attempt at a fanfiction. It's based around Tenchi Universe (Tenchi TV) and the OVA so most of the main characters you've seen from there will appear here as well. It also crosses a bit with Dragonball Z with the existence of Dragonballs and immensely powerful warriors. Ryoko and Tenchi had finally chosen to be together, and Aeka is still living at the house for now. You'll see when it happens. Anyway, I'll stop flapping my yap and let you get right to the story. Enjoy! Send all hate mail or fan mail to .

Once again, Russ followed Yosho to the Misaki home, his stomach growling and complaining the whole way. Yosho heard it rumbling away and he started chuckling. Russ just grinned and blushed from embarrassment. Yosho had a double take and turned back toward Russ, noticing he was now in a karate gi, instead of the clothes he originally showed up in. Russ noticed him looking him over. His gi was green with a blue undershirt, blue wristbands, and blue boots. His pants were also green, and he had a blue belt wrapped around his waist. The two symbols on his clothes were unfamiliar to Yosho.

"I went back to my spaceship before going to that clearing and grabbed my training clothes. They're light and very strong. They're based on the clothing of one of the greatest heroes, Goku. Only difference between his and mine is the color. His favorite was orange, mine is green. You may not have heard of Goku before. He's been dead for a long, long time. He saved this planet many times, as his son did by his side, with all of Goku's friends. They used to be known as the Z fighters. I highly doubt you'll find anything about them in the Earth based history books though. Most people nowadays found his trials and feats of great strength too unbelievable, and therefore in later generations, were left out of most textbooks. It's unfortunate, but I guess that's the fate of a hero like him. Plus, you're from Jurai, so I have no idea how much of Earth's history you do know."

Yosho didn't say anything, but continued to listen in interest. They made it to the stairway and started their descent.

Russ continued. "The symbols on my clothes are identical to Goku's as well. I've been trained in the art of Kaioken, which represents the symbol on my back, and I've also been trained in the ways of the Earth's guardian, and a man named Master Roshi, which is the symbol on the front. Unfortunately, Zorpheus also has the same fighting style and training as I have had. We're about as equal as they get. However, our ambitions took a sharp turn once we learned of the Dragonballs. He had this overwhelming urge to become immortal, as I have explained before. Most evil villains that have existed also had wanted to become immortal, which is why Goku became such a hero, defending the planet against all the evil that approached it. Even with his valiant efforts though, one of the villains, Garlic Junior, actually did become immortal. However, unfortunately for him, he was careless, and he was sealed away for eternity. Just knowing that there are things on this planet that can make someone immortal is why I wanted to keep the Dragonballs a secret. It can make a good man go bad."

Yosho nodded. "Interesting. Please continue."

"Well anyway, all of the Saiyans were supposed to have been wiped out when Frieza destroyed Vegeta, our home world. However, unknown to anyone, except for Prince Vegeta, there was a small group of Saiyans who had left the planet and traveled far across the galaxy to colonize another planet. The official record of them leaving was deleted. It was only a very small group of less than a hundred of them, but from what I know from history is that they successfully settled and began colonization. However, most of them were known as the Saiyan rejects. They were, at the time, weak, lower class warriors. They technically weren't colonists, but they were just sent off the planet to go do as they wished. They weren't wanted, and they weren't classified as useful people, so they left. Prince Vegeta was about to exile them anyway. My great grandparents came from that world. My parents decided to leave that world and go exploring the galaxy, and they wound up here at Earth. They didn't know it at the time, but they later learned that this same planet had the Dragonballs on it, and that it was Goku's home. After Goku made his sacrifice and the dragon apparently had told him that no wishes would be granted for about a hundred years, the Dragonballs once again became only a legend. It seems that legend has vanished from this planet, but it is real. While I was living here, I never knew about them. After I had left to go on my own adventure, I had met Zorpheus, a Human-Saiyan hybrid. We became the best of friends, and we had done many things together. We even used to go to alien planets to visit their libraries and stuff like that. That was how we learned of the Dragonballs. A while after that, when Zorpheus became more and more obsessive and evil, we wound up going our separate ways. I visited many more planets, also hunting for the Dragonballs. My search has finally led me back home. Ironic." Russ looked at the sky with a straight face.

"Wow. That's quite a history. So tell me, do you think you can stop him?"

"I'm pretty sure I can do it, however, I'll need to continue training to keep my strength up. He has nearly all the same attacks and techniques I have, aside from the newer ones I have developed. We basically have studied the Z fighters' history and have nearly mastered all their special techniques. Everything from Goku's Kamehameha wave, to Vegeta's Final Flash attack, and even Piccolo's Splitform technique, plus many, many more."

"What was that technique you were using to disappear and reappear to another spot?"

"That's called the Zanzoken, or a 'blur' technique. Basically it allows me to move extremely quickly to another point close by. It's so fast it's almost instant, however, its range is limited."

Russ zanzokened behind Yosho, then again in front of him, and then again above him, and yet again to his original spot. Yosho just looked on with a look of awe.

"Impressive. Ryoko may make a decent sparring partner for you. She has a lot of special techniques, including the ability to fire energy from her hands. She's very strong too."

"Ryoko… oh, the spiky blue haired girl who was hanging on Tenchi?" Russ grinned. "Maybe. But I hate to say it, when compared to Zorpheus or myself, or any one of the other Saiyans, she'd be considered to be a pushover. But if she wants, I'm sure I could train with her or whatever. I'd have to be careful around here that I don't reveal a whole lot about what I can really do. I don't want to hurt anybody, accidentally or intentionally. I hope that Washu person you mentioned can assist me in some way."

Yosho snickered. "She probably could help you out. However, you best be careful around her. She may be a scientific genius, but her ego is also huge. She also has a tendency to want to… examine… people from time to time."

Russ just cocked his eyebrow, wondering what he meant. He guessed that he'd find out soon enough, as they were now on the front porch of Tenchi's home. Yosho slid back the door and entered the living room, with Russ following. Aeka and Sasami were both setting the table, and upon their arrival, they stopped and looked up.

"Hello again. Yosho here twisted my arm to come eat some lunch with you guys, if that's not a problem." Russ said, putting a hand behind his head. Yosho just raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything.

"Okay, great! We have plenty to eat so I hope you're good and hungry!" Sasami smiled warmly as did Aeka. Both of them stared at Russ when they saw him in his karate gi. He now looked even more handsome than he did earlier today. They both blushed slightly and looked at each other, smiling.

Russ noticed it, but assumed they were looking at the dirt smudges that were on it. He felt a little embarrassed.

"Uh, would you mind if I got a little cleaned up before I sat down to eat? Is there somewhere where I can take a quick bath?"

"Sure, not at all. Let me grab you a couple towels and a bar of soap, and you can take a bath in the onsen over the lake," Aeka told him.

"That's your bathroom? Cool. And thanks."

Aeka quickly went to a closet and grabbed two towels, a washrag, and a bar of soap and returned to the living room.

"Here you go. Follow me and I'll show you how to get inside."

"Okay, thanks again."

They both went outside. Yosho watched them leave, grinning a little. He could see Aeka was attracted to him, which made himself happy. He knew Aeka was lonely, and so far, Russ was the best thing that could happen to her. Sasami just rolled her eyes and returned to the kitchen.

Walking toward the onsen, Aeka looked over at Russ, who was also glancing at her. Russ immediately looked forward again, causing Aeka to smile. She really hoped he was available. He was so handsome, and so far, really friendly and nice.

They reached the edge of the lake when Russ stopped. Aeka turned and gestured for him to follow.

"Uh, won't we fall into the lake if we keep going?"

Aeka laughed. "No, come on, I'll show you." She took his arm and pulled him forward, blushing at her own boldness.

Russ just grinned and walked forward. At the moment when he went to put his foot into the lake, he and Aeka were transported to the onsen entrance.

"Whoa, cool! Teleportation!" Russ looked behind him and saw he was pretty high off the ground.

"Come on inside," Aeka said as she pushed open the door. Russ followed.

"Oh my god, this place is huge! This is your bathroom?" Russ said, as his voice reverberated around a little. He looked at the large variety of tropical trees that were inside, he smelled the humid air, and listened to the sounds of running water. Everything inside was made of wood, except for the dome over the top of the place. It seemed that it would be very comfortable and relaxing for him. He smiled and continued to look around.

Aeka felt so happy to see someone behave almost like a child when he sees something new. It was so cute. She giggled to herself as she walked over to Russ again.

"You can take a bath in that area over there. That's the men's bath area" Aeka explained.

"Okay, thank you for allowing me to use this place. I've never seen anything like it." Russ removed the shirt to his gi. Upon removing his blue undershirt and revealing his entire upper body, Aeka turned completely red and her nose started to bleed. She face-faulted onto the floor, but recovered quickly before Russ noticed. She turned away, breathing heavily. No man has ever had that effect on her before. She smiled to herself as Russ finished undressing and then jumped into the water.

She turned back toward him. "When you're finished come on back to the house for lunch. Almost everybody should be there, and we have lots to eat, so I hope you're good and hungry."

"Alright. Thanks again." Russ smiled as he watched her walk out the door. He sighed to himself. All the women in that house were gorgeous. How Tenchi wound up with a houseful of them was beyond his comprehension. Anyway, he knew that Aeka found him extremely attractive. However, Russ decided not to make any advances until he was absolutely certain that she was the one for him.

Russ quickly scrubbed himself down and hopped out of the water. He dried himself using his ki, and used the towel to wipe the excess water out of his mass of hair. Realizing he forgot to bring a change of clothes, he grabbed his gi and shoved it into the water, rinsing most of the dirt out of it. Again using his ki, he dried it and put it back on. He looked outside the onsen and saw Aeka entering the house. Once again hearing his stomach start complaining, he opened the onsen door and walked out.

"Oh crud, she didn't tell me how to get down from here. Oh well." Russ used his instantaneous movement ability and teleported himself to the ground below. He walked quickly back to the house, toward the back door.

Tenchi was finishing his job of weeding the field when he felt his own stomach rumble a little. He looked up at the sun's position in the sky and realized it was just about lunchtime. He wiped his brow with the back of his hand and dumped the last of the carrots he had picked into the basket. Ryo-Ohki was nearby, darting through the long grasses chasing a grasshopper. Tenchi watched her try again and again to pounce on that grasshopper, but she kept missing. He chuckled lightly. Reaching behind him, he pulled out a carrot and knelt down.

"Here, Ryo-Ohki. You can catch one of these things."

She stopped in her tracks, looked over at Tenchi with her eyes sparkling with delight. She then raced over and grabbed the carrot and took off.

"Silly thing. Oh well. It's just about lunchtime so I better get back to the house. I'm starved!" He knelt down and slid the carrot basket onto his back and slowly stood up. Once again the basket was heaping over with carrots. Ryo-Ohki noticed him lifting the basket so she transformed into her human form to help. She came up behind Tenchi and steadied him.

"Thank you. This thing keeps getting heavier every time I lift it. Well, let's go! Sasami has lunch waiting for us."

Ryo-Ohki meowed a couple times and did her best to help Tenchi carry the basket of carrots home. While Tenchi wasn't watching, she quickly swiped another carrot and ate it.

Tenchi grunted. "I heard that. No more carrots until we get home or you'll spoil your dinner. Now let's go."

Ryo-Ohki just sighed to herself and looked around. Not finding anything of interest, she continued to help Tenchi with the basket.

Washu was frantically typing away at her holographic laptop computer, trying to get a mess of data that she collected entered. After she had eaten breakfast earlier in the day, she resumed her frenzy at the computer, still really tired from the previous night. Her stomach croaked lightly, letting her know it was time for a refuel. She sighed and lay back on her cushion, swiveling around in a circle. She looked out past her platform at the plethora of plant life she had surrounded her area in. She stood up and walked toward the door, which appeared when she got close to it.

Walking through it, she found herself back in the Misaki home, but something was very strange. She could sense a massive ki outside the house. She cocked her eyebrow a little, and walked over to the sliding glass door in the living room. The ki level was higher than anything she has ever felt, including herself. Aeka was outside on her way in. However, she didn't sense that power coming from her. She looked at Aeka with curiosity.

Aeka noticed it. "Is something wrong, Miss Washu?"

She looked over at the onsen, almost ignoring Aeka's question.

Aeka turned around to see what Washu was staring at, and figured it was the onsen. Realizing that Washu didn't meet Russ earlier, she turned back toward her. "Our new visitor is taking a bath. He'll be back here very shortly to eat lunch with us. He's met everybody already except for you."

"Oh really… Why didn't anybody come and get me? I'm a part of this family too you know." Washu glared at her.

"Sorry, but we just figured you were busy. You also looked very tired at the table for breakfast today."

"Well, you're right on both counts. Oh well, I'll meet him in a few moments. Lets get some lunch! I'm hungry." They turned and walked toward the table.

Washu looked up and saw Ryoko, asleep on the beam again. She walked over to the couch, grabbed one of the pillows, and taking careful aim, she lobbed it at Ryoko, nailing her square in the face. However, Ryoko only slightly stirred, and didn't wake up. Destined to try again, and snickering evilly to herself, she opened her telepathic link with Ryoko.

"RYOKO!" Washu shouted at her telepathically. Ryoko flew up into the air, smacked into the ceiling, and fell to the floor. She groaned as she got to her feet and rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"Why did you do that mom? That was really rude." Ryoko looked quite annoyed.

"How much do you need to sleep anyway? You don't do anything! Besides, it's lunchtime now so take a seat at the table." Washu felt a little better. Ryoko just grumbled and plopped down in her usual spot.

"Where's Tenchi? Isn't he back yet?" Ryoko looked around the living room and around the table.

"He should be back very shortly. Ryo-Ohki is with him too."

Ryoko sighed. "Oh, alright. Well anyway, what's for lunch? I'm starving!"

"Who knows? You eat everything that isn't running too fast anyway!" Everybody except Ryoko started laughing. Ryoko however, turned red.

"Bah! Who needs you anyway!" Ryoko folded her arms and turned away.

"Oh, I'm sorry little Ryoko. Did mommy tease you a little?"

Ryoko glared at Washu. She couldn't stand it when her mother got really tired because it usually meant she was going to be picked on. She sighed and looked out the window.

Sasami entered the dining area with two plates filled with food. Everybody at the table had their mouths start watering as they gave various complements to the master chef.

"There's more than that. I'll be right back," she said as she returned to the kitchen. A moment later, she returned with two more heaping plates of food.

"This should be enough to feed everybody." She looked around the table and noticed a few people were missing. "Where are Tenchi and Russ? And what about Kiyone and Mihoshi? And father?"

Yosho looked over at Sasami. "Tenchi should be home in a moment. Kiyone and Mihoshi are both asleep since they have that early morning patrol shift tomorrow. Russ is taking a bath so I assume he'll be here in a few minutes. And Nobuyuki is at work today."

"Oh. I guess I made a little too much food. I was expecting Kiyone and Mihoshi along with Russ and father here at the table. Well, I guess we'll have leftovers for a little while then."

"I highly doubt that," Russ said as he stepped into the house. All eyes turned toward him as he grinned.

Washu nearly fell backwards when she saw him. Her eyes sparkled and her heart started pounding. She quickly stood up and flashed over to his side and grabbed his arm.

"Hi, I'm Washu. I presume you're Russ? Pleased to meet you." She gave him a big hug.

"I uh... I mean uh… nice to meet you too." Russ had a real confused look on his face as he started to perspire.

Aeka grabbed Washu. "Go sit down, little Washu, and eat your lunch," Aeka said through clenched teeth.

"What's the matter?"

"Nothing will be the matter if you go sit down and eat your lunch. Get me?" Aeka looked quite mad. The vein popping out of her head made her look even more furious.

Washu got the message. "Okay, okay, you win." She looked back at Russ, who still looked confused. Damn, was he good looking! Washu returned to her seat at the table.

Russ finally snapped out of it. "Well, where should I sit?"

Aeka gestured to a cushion to her side. "Come sit over here, Russ."

"Okay. Wow, that food looks pretty good." His stomach once again made a loud croaking noise. Everybody stared at him as Russ started laughing. "I guess I'm more hungry than I thought."

"Yeah, no kidding. Sounds like your stomach is going to eat you if you don't feed it." Ryoko smirked.

Tenchi slid back the kitchen door and entered the dining area with a bunch of plates. He looked around the table and saw everybody there. He smiled in acknowledgement and he set the plates down in the middle of the table. Ryoko grabbed him and pulled him down to his seat.

"Come on, Ryoko. I still have to get the chopsticks and napkins."

"Don't worry, Tenchi, I've already gotten them," Sasami said, as she put the utensils on the table. Russ glanced at the chopsticks with a worried expression.

"I've never used chopsticks before. I'll be right back. I'm going to my ship to grab my spork." Russ stood up and walked to the middle of the living room. He snickered. Everybody turned toward him.

"Watch this." He put two fingers to his forehead and vanished. A moment later, he reappeared with his spork in hand. Everybody's jaw dropped except for Yosho's. Washu narrowed her eyes a little after recovering from her initial shock. Ryoko did the same. Aeka, Sasami, and Tenchi all still had a dumbfounded look on their face.

Russ took his seat beside Aeka again and laid his spork down on the table. Everybody continued to stare at him.

"What? That was the easiest thing to do and the quickest. Well, let's eat!"

Everybody reached for a plate, chopsticks, and a napkin. They all started picking out the foods they wanted and set them on their plates. Russ just waited until everybody was finished and then grabbed one of the plates and dumped half the food that was left on his own plate. Russ started to chow down as everybody slowly stopped and stared at him. Even Ryoko. They couldn't believe how fast he was eating. Russ devoured everything on his plate in less than a minute.

"Yum! This stuff is great!" He patted his stomach, which wasn't satisfied. It croaked again. "Oh boy. Do you think I can have seconds?"

"Sure, go ahead. You can have the rest that's on the table." Yosho smiled.

"Are you sure? Don't any of you guys want more?"

Ryoko grabbed one of the plates and dumped a little more food onto her own. Everybody else shook his or her head. Russ reached over and grabbed the second plate, dumping the food onto his own, and inhaling that stuff in less than a minute. He grabbed the third plate and ate everything off of it. Russ eyeballed the last plate.

"Could somebody pass that last plate of food over there?" Everybody started perspiring, but Aeka handed him the food. Russ ate it all in a few moments.

Russ let out a huge belch that rattled the windows. "Ahhh! That stuff was fantastic! Who made all of it?"

Ryoko looked at Russ. "Wow, that's a lot of belching power you have there." Russ turned red.

"Sorry about that. That was rather rude."

Sasami smiled. "I made all that food. I'm glad you enjoyed it."

"Really? You're a great cook. I'm impressed. I can cook some foods too. I'll have to learn how to make some of the stuff you do and I'll show you some of the stuff I've eaten before."

"That'd be great!" Sasami smiled.

Everybody continued to stare at Russ. They had barely touched their food since they were all staring at him almost the entire time. Ryoko ate everything on her plate though. She couldn't believe someone had an appetite larger than her own.

"This guy is going to eat us out of house and home if we're not careful," Ryoko mumbled to herself.

"Now, now, Ryoko. He's a guest here. It won't do us any good to have him starve to death." Yosho whispered over to her.

"How could he starve to death eating that much food," she shot back.

Russ noticed them whispering back and forth. "Don't worry too much. I don't eat every single day. I eat a ton of food about every two or three days and that's enough to satisfy me for that long. If I eat something smaller, then I just eat more often."

Ryoko looked back to him. "Well, I guess that's okay. I do, however, have you to thank for moving in with us, since now I can share a room with my Tenchi." She grabbed him in a hug and snuggled up close with him.

"Ryoko, stop it! Come on, go sit over there." Tenchi tried to push her off but she held on tight.

Everybody except Russ ignored them, since that was a common sight for them. Russ just watched with mild interest.

Everybody finished his or her lunch shortly thereafter. Sasami sighed as she picked up all the chopsticks and napkins and started piling the dirty dishes in a stack. Ryoko floated back up to her beam, and Aeka stood up and left the room. Yosho walked out of the house on his way back to the shrine.

"Can I help you with the dishes, Sasami?" Russ asked.

She looked up at him and smiled. "Thank you very much! Just grab that stack of dishes and bring them into the kitchen."

"Okay." He watched Sasami leave the living room. Washu was still sitting at the table, staring at him with a smile.

"I need to talk to you in a bit, okay, Washu? I'm hoping you can help me out with something."

"Sure. Just come into my lab when you're ready, alright?"

"Great! Where's it at?"

"Over there," she said, pointing at the closet door. Russ scratched his head, but decided not to argue.

"Um, okay. See you in a few minutes."

Washu snickered to herself as she opened the door and walked inside. Russ sighed and grabbed the dishes and carried them into the kitchen.

Sasami was at the counter wiping it down. She turned toward him as he entered.

"Just put them here in the sink and I'll take care of it, okay?"

"Oh, that's okay. I'll wash them and put them away too. I may be a guest here, but I'll also be living here for a while. I can't be a total freeloader."

Sasami's mouth dropped, but she smiled in her cutest way. "Thanks. Really, only my sister and I take care of the house. Nobody else does much of anything. Tenchi takes care of the field and whatever else needs to be done, I cook, and my sister does whatever else that we don't do."

"Ahhh, I see. Well, I'll help out as much as I can."

Russ and Sasami quickly cleaned up the mess, and then Russ returned to the living room. He looked at the closet door that Washu said her lab was in. He walked up to it and pushed the door open and stepped inside. Now in some sort of very short hallway, he opened the second door that was at the end of the hallway and stepped inside this huge room, surrounded in bright light with an abundance of plant life.

He saw Washu sitting on a cushion in front of her computer. After entering, he knocked lightly on the door to get her attention. She swiveled toward him.

"Hi there, Washu. Can I speak to you?"

"Sure, come on over here. What do you want to talk to me about?"

"I need a favor. I know I'm new, and I just met you about twenty minutes ago and I don't have any right to ask you this…"

"It's okay," Washu interrupted. "What is it you need?"

"Well, okay. Everybody said you were the scientific genius of the house, so I figured you'd be my best bet. I need a room where I can adjust the gravity in it. I need it for training. The gravity on this planet is way too light to get any kind of good workout on it."

"I see. I think I can accommodate you there. But first…" she snapped her fingers. "I'm going to need to examine you a little."

Russ started perspiring as a black globe appeared behind him and released a bunch of arms that grabbed him. He yelped in surprise.

"What is this thing?"

"Don't worry, I'm just going to run a few tests on you. Strictly medical." She snickered evilly as the machine removed his clothes, except for his underpants. She got a good look as his physique and she turned red.

"Oh my, aren't you a strong one," she said as she walked up to him with a pair of surgical gloves.

"Uh oh," he said, as she walked forward. This must be what everybody was talking about. "Help me!" He yelled as she laughed manically.


	4. The Hunt

Ep 4 – The Hunt

Tenchi Muyo and Dragonball Z is owned/copyrighted by their respective companies.

I'm Russell Piper, and what you're about to read is my first real attempt at a fanfiction. It's based around Tenchi Universe (Tenchi TV) and the OVA so most of the main characters you've seen from there will appear here as well. It also crosses a bit with Dragonball Z with the existence of Dragonballs and immensely powerful warriors. Ryoko and Tenchi had finally chosen to be together, and Aeka is still living at the house for now. You'll see when it happens. Anyway, I'll stop flapping my yap and let you get right to the story. Enjoy! Send all hate mail / fan mail to .

"No… please don't… I don't know where the Dragonballs are. I've never even heard of them until you brought them up! Please let me go!" The hapless victim continued to struggle against the iron grip Zorpheus had around his neck.

"Well, gee, that's too bad. That means you're useless to me. Get out of my face." Zorpheus took the man and flung him into a brick wall, where the man smashed his head against it. His lifeless body crumpled to the ground. "Aw dammit, I didn't want to do that. Oh well. Better not leave a mess." Zorpheus raised his hand and fired a small ki blast, vaporizing the man's body. The crowd that gathered around Zorpheus in the street was growing in size. Many people were watching him in complete terror. Sirens wailed in the distance.

Zorpheus looked back to the crowd. "Do any of you people know about the Dragonballs?" The crowd all gasped in fear. "If you divulge what I want, I'll leave." Nobody made a move toward him, but there were a few people who whispered to each other. Zorpheus waited a few more moments, and then started losing his patience. "Do any of you morons know about the Dragonballs? This is the last time I'm asking." The crowd began to back away. Nobody came forward.

"Dammit," Zorpheus muttered to himself. He scratched his mass of black hair with his prosthetic right hand and then turned away from the crowd. Placing two fingers to his forehead, he transported himself to another city many miles away. The crowd continued to chatter amongst themselves as half a dozen squad cars arrived. Police officers jumped out of their cars and looked around. Several people from the crowd came up to the officers.

"What's going on here? What happened?"

A young girl walked up to the officer. "There was a man here a moment ago. He just vanished after killing someone. He said he was looking for something called Dragonballs."

The officer knelt down. "Can you tell us what he looked like?"

"Yes. We all got a good look at him. He was pretty tall, about six feet tall. He was wearing a blue cloak, heavy black army type boots, and a large belt around his waist. He was very muscular, and had a couple of implants on him too. His entire right arm was artificial, at least I think it was, and one of his eyes looked strange. It kept making little noises as it moved. His other eye had a red iris. His hair was tall and black too."

The officer was busy scribbling all of this information down on his notepad. "Do you know anything else? Was he carrying any weapons?"

A young boy came out of the crowd. "No, he didn't have any weapons, but he somehow fired a blue ball of energy from his hand, vaporizing the person. He seemed incredibly strong too. If you look at that wall over there, you can see a crack running through it now. That happened after that stranger threw the man into it."

Walking over to the wall, the officer examined it, and noticed a few bloodstains on it. He called another officer over and told him to take a few samples of blood to have them analyzed. He turned back toward the young boy and girl from the crowd. "Is there anything else we should know about?"

"That's all we were able to hear," said the young girl. "He just put two fingers to his head and vanished. We have no idea which way he went."

The officer cocked his eyebrow slightly. "Okay. Thanks for all your help. Do you need a ride home? One of my officers will be glad to give you a lift."

"No thanks, I just live right over there." The girl pointed to a set of apartments that were just down the street.

The officer smiled. "Okay, thanks again for your help. Now run along home." The little girl smiled and ran off. The boy also turned and ran off with her. The officer turned back toward the other policemen who were mostly standing around, making sure the crowd didn't get out of control. He sighed, and walked over to his car and got on the radio.

"Dispatch, this is Murphy," he said as he keyed the radio.

"Go ahead."

"We've had some sort of fight here on Melphia Street. We have one victim, unidentified. The man who did this did not mention any name, but we do have a description."

"Okay. Come back to the station and fill out a report."

"Yes ma'am. We need to keep a lid on this."

"Roger that."

Murphy sighed to himself. He turned back toward the other officers. "Hey guys, I need to head back to the station. Take care of everything here, okay?"

One of the lackeys turned. "Yes sir. We'll be fine here."

Murphy started the car and took off. "Today is going to be a long day." Reaching over to his briefcase, he pulled out a scouter. "I never thought I'd have a reason to use one of these things again." He put it over his left ear, as it stuck itself to his head. He pushed the button and the scouter came to life. It did a quick self-diagnostic, and then started scanning. It found a ki signature many miles off. It started to calculate a power level, but it displayed ERROR on the little window. A second later, the scouter overloaded and then exploded. Slamming on the brakes to his car from the shock, Murphy jumped out and brushed the debris out of his seat. "Holy cow. These scouters are supposed to be able to measure a ki level of up to ten million. How can anybody have more power than that?" His hands started shaking. He quickly got back into his car, hit the siren, and drove like a madman back to the station to warn everybody.

Zorpheus appeared on top of a large building. Walking over to the edge, he looked down and read a sign that was on the ground. It said, "Public Library." Smiling at his dumb luck, he moved to another wall of the library, which had an alleyway running along the side. He jumped off the roof and landed lightly on his feet. Coming around to the front, he went inside. The place was quite massive. Books of all types were lined up all along the walls and there were many rows of shelves loaded with books too. Walking over to the librarian's desk, which was currently vacant, he stood quietly and waited for his or her return. He didn't wait long, since she was nearby, stocking the shelves with returned books. She walked back to her desk and sat down.

She studied him for a moment. "Hello. Can I help you with anything?"

"I hope so. I'm looking for some books on a specific type of history. Do you know if this library has any books on the history of the Saiyans?"

"I'm not sure, but you can have a look at that computerized card catalog over there. You can search for books by title, author, or subject. You can get pretty specific with it too."

Zorpheus looked to his right and saw the terminal. "Okay, thanks a lot." He walked over to the terminal and sat down. The librarian stared at him until he sat down, then she got up and resumed putting the books back on the shelves, occasionally glancing over at him. His clothes were really out of the ordinary.

Zorpheus had been to several dozen libraries in the past, and had found nothing on the Saiyans. However, most planets that he has visited were not even capable of interstellar flight. No spaceships, no extraterrestrial communications equipment, no nothing. This planet also didn't have anything of that sort, so his expectations were low.

Looking at the screen and taking the mouse in his right hand, he clicked on the subject field and entered the word, "Saiyan." A moment later two results came up. He started to perspire, but decided to take a look at both books. Grabbing a slip of paper and a pencil that were nearby, he wrote down their catalog numbers and stood up. He was fortunate to get that many results. He felt a little excited, so he quickly walked down the aisles in search of the books. Reaching where the first book was located, he searched up and down for it. However, the book wasn't there. Determined, he looked for it a second time. Once again, he came up empty. He growled to himself and then went to look for the second book. Walking to another aisle, he stopped where the book was located. This time he smiled when he found a rather thick, old, dusty book, which was titled, "Vegeta – Planet of the Apes." He scowled at the title, but he walked over to a table and sat down. Flipping through a couple of pages and reading a couple chapter titles, he noticed one that caught his eye. It said, "Known Super Saiyans." Quickly thumbing to that chapter, he started reading. It mentioned how often Super Saiyans were born, and it listed names of known Super Saiyans. Some of the last entries included Goku, Vegeta, Gohan, Trunks, Goten, Bra, and Pan. It also listed where they lived. Earth. Zorpheus raised an eyebrow in curiosity. Why in the world were so many Super Saiyans on planet Earth? There isn't anything special about that planet… is there? Zorpheus started feeling anticipation. He decided to depart for Earth as soon as possible. He took the book to the desk and set it down, then walked outside to the alleyway. He put two fingers to his forehead and teleported himself to his spacepod. Opening it up and setting down inside of it, he keyed the commands to activate the computer.

"Computer Ready." It responded in its feminine voice.

"Computer, how long will it take to get from this planet to planet Earth, non stop?"

No response. Zorpheus slapped his head and configured the computer for voice commands.

"Voice commands ready."

"Computer, how long will it take to get from this planet to planet Earth, non stop?"

"Approximately ten months."

"Okay. Plot a course for Earth and depart."

"Affirmative." The ship started rumbling a little as the engines were engaged. The spacepod then shot up through the atmosphere at break-neck speed leaving a white vapor trail as it adjusted its course toward the Earth.

"About a year to wait for immortality, assuming the Earth has the Dragonballs." Zorpheus had a huge grin on his face. "Nothing can stop me now." His laughing rang out inside the spacepod as it hurtled through space.

"Washu, what exactly are you going to do to me?" Russ said, squirming against the restraints.

"Well, I need to take some blood samples first." Washu produced a syringe and an alcohol pad from her pocket. Russ looked at the needle with horror.

"What?! A needle?!?! I'm not sick! I don't need a needle! Get away from me with that thing!" Russ started kicking against the restraining globe, trying to break free without tearing it to pieces. Washu stopped in her tracks and started to perspire.

"Don't worry, you won't feel a thing." She said softly and with a smile.

"Yeah right! That's what they all say! Get this thing to release me right now!"

"Oh, quit your bellyaching. You'll be fine." Washu walked up to Russ and rubbed his arm with the alcohol pad. However, Russ was going to have no part of it, as he ripped the left restraint right off of the globe. He reached over with his free hand and broke the hand that was holding his other arm. He did the same for the ones holding his legs. Washu just looked on in shock. Nobody should've been able to break out of those restraints!

Russ grabbed his clothes and quickly put them on. "Tell me how to get out of here. I don't need your help if this is what you're going to do to me." Russ was really mad. Doing things like that was a big mistake with him.

Washu frowned. "Okay, you win. I won't do anything without your permission first, okay? Will that be good enough?"

Russ calmed down a little. "Don't you dare try to restrain me like that again. I don't know where you got it in your mind that you could do that to someone, but don't do it to me."

"Tenchi never minded it. That's just a device that I use to examine people. It can do a lot, but it can't take the place of solid samples like a blood sample. It can do hair samples and other physical samples. It can determine certain layer patterns, among other things." Washu looked over at her machine, which was now a wreck. "I guess I have to fix that up now for the next time I need it."

"Humph. Sorry about wrecking it, but I can't stand needles. Also, next time, tell me when you're going to use that globe thing and I should be more cooperative, instead of having it sneak up behind me like that."

"Okay, you have a deal." Washu smiled. "Would you mind answering a few questions for me?"

Russ folded his arms. "What do you want to know?"

"What race are you?"

"My race is known as Saiya-jin, or Saiyan."

Washu looked at him with surprise. "Are you serious? You're a true, full-blooded Saiyan? I thought that race was extinct!"

"It almost was, but that's a long story. How in the world did you know about Saiyans?"

"Wow, okay. Well, that explains your extraordinary strength." Washu looked at his waist and ignored his question. "Could you turn around? Do you have a tail?"

"No I don't. That was cut off a long time ago and has never grown back."

"Oh, okay. How strong are you?"

"I am very strong."

Washu smiled a little. "Aww, can't you be more specific?"

Russ looked at her, and tried to judge her ki level. "Well, I can sense your ki level. But to put it simply, my own ki level is way higher than you'd ever imagine."

"I don't know. I can imagine quite a bit. I've got a machine over here that can tell me how much ki you have. Would you mind if I used it to scan you?"

Russ looked at her. "As long as it doesn't require me to remove my clothes or poke needles into me."

Washu laughed. "No, nothing like that." She walked over to the machine and started it up. "I'll have it scan me first." She pushed a button and focused the targeting scanner on herself. It hummed a moment, and then gave a number. "Seven thousand, nine hundred, sixty five. Not bad."

Russ looked at her for a moment. "She must be using a different scale than we do. From what I can sense, she'd only be about a hundred at best," Russ muttered to himself.

"Now, it's your turn." She started to focus the machine's scanner on Russ. Russ quickly lowered his power level to that of a normal human. Washu looked over at Russ the moment he did that. The machine hummed a moment, and then gave a number again. "You're only at about thirty five. You should be much higher than that. Weird though, it felt like the energy you were producing just vanished."

"It did. I'm suppressing my ki. Unfortunately, machines like that can be fooled quite easily. You also seem to use a different scale to measure ki levels. I also have a ki detector, called a scouter. It's a little portable device that can give a number according to how much energy a person can produce."

"That explains the strange sensation I felt before I started scanning. Interesting."

"Strange how you can also sense a ki level. I thought only Yosho could do that." Russ cocked his eyebrow slightly and leaned up against a machine that was nearby.

"Yes, it's one of the traits I have. It's not very useful, but hey, it's there. Would you mind bringing your scouter over here? I'd love to take a look at it."

"I suppose. Just don't break it or anything. I've only got two of them."

"I'm not going to break anything. I'm a genius! Geniuses don't break things, we fix them and make them better!" Washu grinned from ear to ear.

Russ shrugged his shoulders. "Okay, I'll bring it over in a little bit. Is there anything else you'd like to know?"

"There are a million things I'd love to know about you." Washu blushed a little. "Are you available?"

Russ slid off the machine he was leaning on and toppled to the floor. He quickly stood back up, blushing all the while. "I um… I don't have a girlfriend, if that's what you're asking. But you're too young for me, and honestly, I'm not interested in a relationship right now. I have more important things to do first."

Washu looked disappointed. "Okay. Besides, Aeka looks to be very attracted to you at the moment. She's had a lot of bad luck with men. She has been, more or less, dumped twice. On Jurai, she was to marry her half brother, Yosho." Russ looked on with interest. "And again, she was rejected by Tenchi in favor of Ryoko."

Russ looked down to the floor. "I'm sorry to hear that. However, I cannot get involved in a relationship right now. I may at a later time. I don't mind being friends with everybody, but a relationship is currently out of the question."

"Why?"

Russ sighed. "You were all told that I'm here on vacation, but in reality, I'm here to defend the Earth against someone who wants something on it. This cannot be allowed. I can't get more specific than that. I'm sorry." Russ looked up into Washu's green eyes. "I could be killed."

Washu looked worried. "Okay, everybody has secrets that they'd like to keep. So anyway, you want a gravity room to train in, right?"

"Yeah, something like that. If possible, do you think you could make a portable version? One that I can wear on my arm or something that only affects the gravity around me?"

"Oh, I think I can. It'll take some work, but we'll see what I can come up with."

"Okay, wonderful! Thanks a lot, Washu." Russ smiled.

"One more thing Russ."

"What's that?"

"Please call me little Washu, alright?" Russ' eyes bulged a moment, and then he started laughing.

"Yes ma'am." He turned around to leave the lab, snickering to himself.

Ryoko was snoozing peacefully on the beam in the living room. After lunch, she had grown quite sleepy so she felt like taking a nap. Feeling rested, she finally stirred and woke up. She sat up and rubbed the sleep from her eyes once more, yawned and stretched, and glanced around the room. Nobody was in the living room with her, so she decided to take it upon herself to get her things moved into Tenchi's room. Since it was something she really wanted, she felt ambitious enough to take care of it herself. She floated through a couple walls and landed with a light thud in her room. It was late afternoon now, but there was still plenty of light filtering in through her window. She groaned to herself when she actually took a look at the mess she left in her room. It appeared as if a tornado, a hurricane, and an earthquake hit the room all at once. Various items of sorts were piled on her desk, her bed was a wreck from the night before, and her other various belongings including clothes were strewn all over the floor.

"Oh man, what a mess. I know what would make this easy though." She smiled and used telekinesis to lift everything at once. The mass of clothes and other items came up off the floor and off the furniture. Ryoko floated up into the air a little, and she and the mass of items floated out of the room. A moment later, she reached Tenchi's room, and she floated through the doorway. Tenchi was inside, working at his desk. He turned around in surprise.

"Ryoko! What are you doing?"

The mass of clothes and other things dropped to the floor when Ryoko broke her concentration. "I'm moving in! What did you expect?" She looked insulted.

"Oh man, what a mess. It's going to take us a few hours to put this stuff away." Tenchi stood up and walked over to Ryoko. She grabbed him in a hug.

"Don't worry about it. We have all the time in the world to put this stuff away." She squeezed him tightly.

"Okay, okay. Geez. Well, lets start putting it away anyway. I don't like having a huge mess of stuff to trip over in the morning."

Ryoko groaned and released Tenchi. "Oh, okay. Do you have enough closet space for my clothes?"

"I think so." He walked over to his closet and slid the door open. "Yeah, there's plenty of space in here. Well, hand me your clothes and I'll hang them up."

"Okay." She walked over to the mass of clothes, picked them all up, and tossed them all at Tenchi at once.

"Whoa!" He yelled as he was bombarded with all her clothes. "Ryoko! Come on, use some common sense."

Ryoko started cracking up while looking at him. Tenchi had some of her undergarments on his head, which made him look totally ridiculous. Realizing how he must've appeared, he smiled and laughed too. One at a time, Tenchi hung her clothes in his closet. He was careful to hang the lightweight stuff on one side and her heavier stuff on the other. Ryoko watched him dreamily.

"You could help you know. Why not put away some of that other stuff you brought along?" Tenchi said, pointing to the mess of magazines and cosmetics that were lying on the floor.

Ryoko sighed, but grabbed all her magazines up in a neat pile and set them on Tenchi's bookcase. She then picked up the rest of her items and put them on his desk, trying to bring some order to the chaos she was causing. She looked pitifully at Tenchi, who in turn just smiled and snickered. Finally finishing hanging all of Ryoko's clothes in his closet, he came over to her and helped her sort the mess she made on his desk. Her cheeks turned rosy as she smiled and leaned against him. Tenchi smiled as she did that.

"Thank you Tenchi."

"You're welcome. What do you say we go talk to Washu about getting us a bigger bed?"

"I'd like that. Let's go." Ryoko took Tenchi's hand in her own as they left his room.

After several hours, Aeka had finally finished the monster load of laundry that needed to be done. She had sorted everybody's clothes and piled them into separate laundry baskets, and had cleaned up the washing machine. She placed them at the back porch for everybody to come get their own basket. She sighed in relief. Sasami had stopped helping her a while ago to go take care of something else that required her attention. Finally free of her chores, she started walking toward the stairway that led up to the shrine. It was now fairly late in the day, with the sun setting over the mountains. She walked slowly, lost in thought. A soft meow was heard behind her, causing her to turn around.

"Hello Ryo-Ohki. Do you want to take a walk with me?" She said, smiling. Ryo-Ohki meowed in return and bounded up by Aeka's feet. She started up the stairs, occasionally slowing down and admiring the natural beauty she was surrounded in. She wished Tenchi would take these walks with her. She felt so lonely at times. She looked down at the cabbit as it lightly bounced beside her. She smiled, and then looked off to the setting sun, letting her mind wander. She wondered about her existence, about why she was alone, with no companion to stay by her side, to hold her when she was feeling down, and to love her as a woman. She thought about Tenchi and Ryoko, and how happy both seemed to be together, as they laughed and had a good time with each other.

Aeka took in a deep breath and let it out slowly. "It's such a beautiful evening." Ryo-Ohki meowed in agreement. They both continued to slowly walk up the stairs, finally coming to the path where Tenchi's training area was located, just a little deeper into the forest. She stopped and looked at the worn path for a moment, remembering the first time she walked down it. She remembered sneaking up on Tenchi and Yosho as they dueled with their wooden swords, and that was when she smiled and laughed for the second time since her arrival on planet Earth. After Tenchi had swung his sword at the dangling stick and Yosho warned him about losing his footing, Tenchi slipped and fell over. Yosho then told him that he still stunk. Aeka giggled again at remembering that, but her feelings turned somber again as she thought about Tenchi and Ryoko. She knew she'd eventually have to let him go. She started down the path, looking at the variety of flowers that lined both sides as Ryo-Ohki continued to follow.

Aeka finally approached the training area, and caught by surprise, she saw Russ standing in the middle of it, looking off into the distance. She quickly darted behind a tree as Ryo-Ohki looked on curiously. Russ took a deep breath, and then blurred out of sight. Aeka quickly looked around the clearing, but didn't see him. She then looked up, and saw Russ hovering above the trees. She watched with awe as he started a flurry of punches and kicks, moving so fast that she could barely see him. He then blurred out again and reappeared on the ground, continuing his exercise. She couldn't believe what she was seeing. Who was this guy? How in the world could he move so fast? Not even Ryoko could do what he was performing. She continued to watch in amazement as he moved all over the training area, punching, kicking, and performing all sorts of martial arts. It was truly incredible to watch. She continued to observe him for a few more minutes as he finally came to a stop in the middle of the clearing again. He wasn't even breathing hard. Finally gathering her wits about her, she stepped out from behind the tree.

"Um, Russ?" Aeka said quietly. Russ nearly jumped out of his skin when she came up behind him, unnoticed.

"Oh! Aeka! You scared the daylights out of me." He calmed down a bit and grinned. "I was hoping to keep this a secret from everybody, but it doesn't look like I'm doing that good of a job. First Yosho discovers me, then Washu found out about me, and now here you are." He laughed. Ryo-Ohki bounded up to both of them and meowed a few times. Russ smiled at her.

"That was amazing. How can you move so fast? How can you fly too?"

"Well, my speed is relative to my ki level. What you saw there, for me, was actually quite slow. You could just barely see my arms and legs, right? I can actually move much faster than that. And as far as me flying, that's a special ability I learned many years ago when I learned to control my ki."

"I see. I also have some ability with my Jurai power. I can make a forcefield that can deflect just about anything that hits it."

"Really? Can I see?"

"Sure." Aeka took a few steps back and threw her arms to her side as a dome of energy surrounded her. She looked up at Russ and smiled.

"That's pretty useful." He walked up to it and rested his hand on it and put a little pressure on it. Aeka winced a little as she strained to keep the shield up. Russ noticed it and then pressed a little harder. Aeka took a deep breath and continued to hold the shield against his hand. Russ then put a whole lot more pressure on the shield, which caused Aeka to waver. He stopped after seeing that. Aeka dropped her shield as she breathed heavily.

"Wow, that was just your hand. You must be very strong. That shield can repel most anything that touches it as long as my Jurai power holds out." Aeka slowed her breathing down a bit and relaxed, giving her exhausted body a break.

Russ watched her curiously. "If you want, I can teach you some other tricks with ki. I can teach you to fly, and I can also help you to get stronger."

Aeka looked into Russ' black eyes and smiled. "Could you really do that?"

"Yeah. It takes some practice, but I'm sure we could each teach something to the other."

Aeka continued to smile as she looked at him. He was so nice and friendly, and was already looking to help others. He didn't seem lazy at all, and not only that, he sure was nice to look at. She blushed a little upon thinking that. She didn't feel as lonely as she stood across from him, as he smiled back.

Russ noticed her looking at him with rosy cheeks and realized she must be thinking of something along the lines of a date. "Aeka, what are you thinking about," he asked, softly.

"Oh! I'm sorry. I was just thinking about how nice and friendly you are."

"Listen. I don't want to break your heart or anything of that sort, so I figured I might as well tell you now before you start getting any ideas. I'm not looking for a relationship." Aeka's heart dropped like a ton of bricks. Her facial expression changed slightly, to one of sadness. "At least, not now. I need to keep focused about the task at hand." Aeka's heart continued to slip into depression, but she managed a fake smile.

"That's okay. I understand." She sniffled a little and turned away. Russ never expected that. He suddenly felt guilty at saying what he did. He walked over to her and carefully turned her around, then put his hands on her shoulders.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I… think I know how you feel. I've seen the way you were behaving around Tenchi and Ryoko earlier today at lunchtime. You're lonely, aren't you…?" He gazed into her violet eyes, which had tears welling up in them.

She sniffled again. "I don't know what I'm doing wrong. Every time I've tried to give my heart to someone, they've brushed it aside, like a flower petal in the breeze. First it was my brother Yosho, and then, Tenchi." A single tear fell down her cheek.

Russ felt really bad for her, as he brushed her tear away with his thumb. He wrapped his arms around her and hugged her warmly. "I'm sorry. I had no idea. I'll do the best that I can to keep you company. And then, after my mission here is complete, we'll see about what we can do together. How's that?"

Aeka felt hopeful and happier. "Would you promise me that?"

Russ took in a shaky breath. "Yes. I promise." He felt a lump in his throat, but he felt better after telling her that.

The sun vanished behind the distant mountains when dusk overtook the land, as Russ continued to hold Aeka in his arms.


	5. Nighttime

Ep 5 – Nighttime

I'm Russell Piper, and what you're about to read is my first real attempt at a fanfiction. It's based around Tenchi Universe (Tenchi TV) and the OVA so most of the main characters you've seen from there will appear here as well. It also crosses a bit with Dragonball Z with the existence of Dragonballs and immensely powerful warriors. Ryoko and Tenchi had finally chosen to be together, and Aeka is still living at the house for now. You'll see when it happens. Anyway, I'll stop flapping my yap and let you get right to the story. Enjoy! Send all hate mail / fan mail to .

"Hey Sasami! I'm starving to death! When is dinner going to be ready?" Ryoko called from the kitchen door.

"Sorry Ryoko. I'm almost done here. Can you help me out by setting the table?" Sasami was busy at the counter, trying to get the food out of the pots and onto the serving plates. Ryoko gave her a funny look, but nodded her head.

"Yeah, sure. I think I can do that," Ryoko said, as she returned to the dining area. Seeing the tablecloth neatly folded up on top of the dining table, she shook it out and allowed it to flutter down to the table. It landed crooked, so she tried again, which ended up in the same result. She shrugged her shoulders and returned to the kitchen door. "Okay Sasami! Tablecloth is all set. Is there anything else that needs to be done?"

"Just tell everybody that dinner is ready, alright? I'll take care of everything else." Sasami smiled as she grabbed the first two plates to carry to the table.

Ryoko's mouth started watering like crazy as she floated out of the kitchen and up to Tenchi's room. He was still sitting at his desk, working on something. Upon closer inspection, she could see he was drawing a picture of a beautiful nature scene, very similar to what was seen outside of Tenchi's bedroom window. Ryoko rested her hand on Tenchi's shoulder as she brought her face down next to his, causing him to jump a little in surprise.

"Ryoko! What's the idea? You know I don't like it when you sneak up on me like that."

"I know. That's why I do it." She giggled and smiled. "Dinner is ready. Come on downstairs before it gets cold. You know how Sasami can't stand it when the food gets cold and nobody eats it."

"Yeah, you got that right." Tenchi put his pencil aside and put his drawing in a folder that was sitting on his desk. It was crammed full of other drawings that he had done in his spare time, including beautiful drawings of natural phenomenon, such as waterfalls, sunsets, trees and mountains, and even an oasis in the middle of a desert. Ryoko looked at the folder for a moment, and then grabbed Tenchi for another hug.

"Are you ever going to let me see all of those drawings in that folder of yours?" She started drawing circles on his chest with her index finger.

"They're really not that good. But maybe we'll take a look at them later, after dinner." Tenchi stood up and slid his chair under the desk.

"Being modest as usual. I'm sure they're beautiful, just like my Tenchi." She giggled again, and looked into Tenchi's big, brown, puppy dog eyes.

He smiled and hugged her in return, causing Ryoko to blush. "Well, we better get down there or Sasami will have a cow, if you know what I mean." Tenchi took Ryoko's hand and led her out the door.

"I still have to go get everybody else for dinner. I'll be back in a few moments. Don't wait for me!"

"Okay. You can go get Washu, Kiyone and Mihoshi, and I'll get Aeka and Grandfather. Dad should be home soon, if he doesn't get stuck at the office again. I'll see if I can find Russ too." They walked down the stairs and stopped. Tenchi looked over at Ryoko. "What do you think of Russ anyway?"

Ryoko narrowed her feral eyes slightly. "Well, he seems nice enough… almost too nice. I wonder what he's really here for. That vacation bit he told us doesn't hold with me very well, and why would he need to live with us for this vacation of his anyway?" Ryoko began to blush a little. "But I do have to thank him for coming, since now I can share a room with you."

Tenchi laughed. "I suppose. When you get Washu, ask her if she'll fabricate us a bigger bed. We're going to need one if we're going to sleep in the same room."

"Okay, I'll see you at the table in a few minutes." Ryoko disappeared into the closet door as Tenchi scratched his head, and then walked out to the back porch.

It was getting dark, and Tenchi could hardly see any detail in the forest anymore since it was just a jagged, black mass now. The sky was a very deep blue, with hues of violet and orange in the far off horizon. The half-moon was now visible, but not bright enough to cast any noticeable light onto the ground. Nearby stars were just beginning to poke their way through the Earth's atmosphere, twinkling their weak lights. The outdoor air was cooling off a bit, but it was still very pleasant and refreshing. A light breeze ruffled Tenchi's hair as he walked off toward the old stairway, which led to the shrine. The steps were just visible enough so he wouldn't trip and fall, but he took his time anyway. Hundreds of crickets were chirping, almost loud enough to drown out his footsteps. Looking up, he saw a couple bats flying through a swarm of gnats, grabbing an easy meal.

"Guess it's dinner time for them too." He snickered and continued on his way, finally reaching the pathway where his training area was. He stopped for a moment and looked down the path, and he could just barely hear two people conversing. He listened for a few moments and realized it was Aeka and Russ. Their voices were getting louder, as he figured they were probably on their way back to the house for dinner. He stood silently as they emerged from the darkness.

Aeka and Russ were both talking quietly to each other, and Russ looked up when he sensed something in front of him. Tenchi saw them both, and waited a moment as they made their way over to him. He smiled, even though they probably couldn't see it very well.

"Hello there. I came to tell you that dinner is on the table. You better hurry home if you want to eat it hot, and to avoid Sasami's wrath." They both laughed, but Russ just stood by quietly.

"Okay, thank you Tenchi. Will you be joining us?" Aeka said, quietly.

"Sure will. I just have to go get Grandpa and I'll be right down."

"Okay, I'll see you in a few minutes." Aeka and Russ started down the stairway together as Tenchi resumed walking up the steps to the shrine. Tenchi stopped and turned a moment and watched them both go, as a small smile spread across his lips. He hoped they'd get together, since he knew how down and lonely Aeka has been for the last half-year. She hasn't really been her usual, happy, robust self. Lately, it's gotten to the point where he assumed that she felt that she was simply in the way, taking up space. She buried herself in housework, trying to keep her mind occupied, but to no avail. She hardly smiled anymore, and she never walked with her head held high as she used to. She also left the house frequently, just wandering around the forest, as if to stay away and distance herself from everybody. Tenchi still felt bad and guilty about hurting her feelings, but the fighting between the two girls finally came to a head almost six months ago, and he finally had to make a choice. On occasion, like now, he regretted having to make that choice, but things have been more peaceful around the house since then. Tenchi sighed and made his way to the shrine, where a faint glow emanated from the Shrine office.

"Hmm… Grandpa must be meditating or something," Tenchi muttered to himself as he walked up the steps to the porch. He rapped lightly on the door. "Grandpa? Dinner is ready. Come and get it before it gets cold."

No answer.

"Grandpa? Hello?" He knocked a little louder on the wood.

No answer.

Tenchi slid open the door and peered inside. On the table in the middle of the room were a pencil and a sheet of paper with some writing on it. There were several candles giving off a dim glow throughout the room. "Grandpa? Where are you? Dinner is ready," he said again, as he walked over to the table. He looked down at the sheet of paper and read it.

"Look out behind you?" Tenchi questioned, as he read the paper. Suddenly, Yosho sprang out of a closet door that was behind Tenchi and raced at him with his wooden sword. Tenchi yelped in surprise and jumped aside as the sword flew through his former position. Tenchi spun around and faced Yosho, who looked extremely intimidating in the low candlelight. In a flash, Yosho charged Tenchi again, this time getting him off balance. Tenchi spun around on his heel and managed to clip Yosho in the leg with his other foot, then tripped and crashed through the table. In an instant, Yosho stood over Tenchi, with the sword held to his throat.

"Work harder, Tenchi. That was very sloppy."

"Sorry Grandpa, but I wasn't ready for that, and I only came to tell you that dinner is ready. Are you going to come down and eat with us?" Tenchi groaned as he picked himself up off of the table and brushed the splinters off of his clothes.

"Mmmm… yes, I think I will join you for dinner." Yosho slapped Tenchi on the back. "Why don't you practice your sword fighting against Russ? He'd be a much greater challenge than I am."

"Why on Earth would I do that? I can't even defeat you. I can't even come remotely close to defeating you!" Tenchi glared at him.

"If you practice enough against someone who is fantastic in comparison with yourself, your skills may progress much faster."

Tenchi sighed. "I suppose. I'll ask him about it tonight or tomorrow."

Tenchi and Yosho got ready to walk out of the shrine office, taking care to extinguish the candles. "Good. Have you gotten Russ settled in yet?"

"I don't know. He hasn't been at the house for most of the day and I have no idea where he's been. I've been at the carrot field for most of the morning and afternoon, and afterwards I spent the rest of my free time in my room." They both reached the stairway and began their long trek down. Tenchi looked over at his Grandfather. "Why is Russ here?"

"What makes you think that he's here and not on vacation?"

"I don't know. He just… seems unusual."

Yosho laughed. "And having six girls from outer space isn't unusual?"

Tenchi shrugged his shoulders. "I guess you're right. I'm starved, and I'm sure Sasami is already about to kill us for being late. Let's hurry." They both picked up the pace a bit, trying to keep from tripping on the steps from the blackness of night.

Sasami had just finished cleaning the counter and getting everything ready for dinner. Exiting the kitchen, she took her usual seat at the table, which was totally covered in plates of delicious food. She was currently alone, but that didn't last long. The first person to enter was Ryoko followed by Washu, as they exited the lab. It was a rare event to have Washu for two meals in one day.

"Ahhh, hello Little Washu! What brings you to the table for the second time today?" Sasami smiled happily.

Washu blushed slightly. "What… am I not allowed to eat more than once a week now?"

"Oh no, you can eat with us as often as you want. I'm just surprised to see you again."

"Excuse me a moment, I need to go wake Kiyone and Mihoshi now. I'll be right back." Ryoko floated up to their room.

Washu continued to blush. "What's wrong, Washu? Why are you so red? Are you sick?" Sasami looked over Washu with concern.

Her green eyes flashed over toward Sasami. "No, I'm not sick. I'm just a little hot under the collar right now."

"Oh, okay. Whatever you say, Washu." Sasami thought a moment and was hit with a wave of realization, so she winked at her, causing her to turn as red as a well-done lobster.

"Stop it!" Washu looked toward the door, trying to avoid Sasami's cute smile. Sasami exploded laughing, as she grabbed a plate and started spooning the food on it. Ryoko materialized in her usual seat a moment later.

Ryoko looked over at her mother. "What's wrong with you?"

"Oh, Washu is hot under the collar right now," Sasami said, as she winked at Ryoko.

Ryoko thought a moment and realized the same thing Sasami did, so she looked back at her mother with a huge grin, as she started giggling uncontrollably, trying to keep from laughing out loud. Washu just glared at her, clearly not in the mood, which only served to get Ryoko giggling even harder. Washu glared at her and rolled her eyes, then started eating.

The kitchen door slid open as Nobuyuki entered the living room. He looked tired out, obviously from a very strenuous day at the office. "Whew. What a day. I finished one house and I had to start on another one. I was going to stay late but I just felt so tired and hungry." He spied the food on the table, and then smiled. "At least I made it in time for dinner." He removed his coat and tossed it over the couch, then sat down in his usual place at the table, grabbing a plate in the process.

Kiyone and Mihoshi both emerged from their bedroom, dressed in their uniforms, and made their way down the stairs to the table. Neither said anything, but both grabbed a plate and sat down. They both yawned in unison, obviously still groggy with sleep.

Mihoshi yawned again. "I hate these early morning patrols. They're so boring and everybody else is asleep while we roam around doing nothing."

"Well, we have a job to do and we have to do it. There's no getting out of it." Kiyone started shoveling food into her mouth, chewing occasionally. She grabbed the Miso soup and washed some of the rice pilaf down.

A moment later, Russ slid open the glass door, and Aeka walked though it. Russ followed close behind, and closed the door behind him. Washu looked up from her position at the table and again started to blush. She watched him dreamily as he turned around.

"Hi guys. How's everything going?" Russ said as he made his way to the table.

"Everything's great! Are you hungry? We have tons of food here as you see." Sasami beamed with pride.

Russ smiled. "Sorry, but I'm not hungry in the least. I just came back to visit with everybody. I'm also going to tell you guys something, once everybody gets here."

Everybody looked at him curiously, and then resumed eating. Aeka sat down in her usual spot, grabbing a plate and spooning a modest portion of food on it. She didn't look at anybody except for Russ, who sat down on the floor a few feet away. He flopped down and toppled backwards with a loud thud and let out a huge sigh.

"Come on over here, Russ," Aeka said, patting the seat next to her.

Russ sat back up and shook his head. "I'm fine here. There are only two seats left at the table, and Tenchi and Yosho will both arrive in a moment. Besides, I like sitting on the floor." He scratched his head.

Washu looked over at Russ. "Out of respect, please call Yosho by Lord Katsuhito or Grandfather. Nobody uses his real name."

"Oh, okay. I'm sorry. He never specified what he would've preferred. I knew exactly who he was when I first saw him early on today, so I just called him by his Jurian name, Yosho, which he didn't object to."

Washu continued to stare at Russ. He noticed it, and squirmed uncomfortably from her big, green eyed gaze and her sly smile. He noticed she was blushing slightly as she continued to look him over, so in an attempt to divert her attention away, he turned his attention back at Aeka, who had her eyebrows furrowed together and was turning red with rage. Washu turned back around and continued eating, then noticed Aeka's glare of death.

"Hey, take it easy. I won't steal him from you." Washu whispered to Aeka. "But he is really nice to look at." She blushed again, as Aeka relaxed a little.

Tenchi opened the glass door and walked inside, followed by Katsuhito. Before Tenchi closed the door, a small brown blur raced inside and skidded to a halt. He didn't notice it as he closed the door.

"Ryo-Ohki! There you are." Sasami smiled and reached behind her, and grabbed a bowl full of carrots. "Are you ready for dinner?"

Ryo-Ohki meowed a couple times and then transformed into her human form. Russ' eyes bulged a moment upon seeing her transformation.

"Aww, she's so cute like that!" Russ was grinning as he shifted positions to get a better look. "I didn't know she could transform." Ryo-Ohki put her hands together in front of her and looked away shyly.

"Yeah, she can. She can also transform into a spaceship too, but I told you that already."

"You did?" Russ scratched his head. "Now that you mention it, yes you did tell me. I guess it didn't click with me until now." He laughed.

"So Russ, what was it that you wanted to tell us, since everybody is now here?" Kiyone asked as she continued to consume her dinner.

Russ' face became serious as he let out a sigh. "I wasn't entirely honest with everybody earlier. I have a guilty conscience and I can't let a lie go without telling the truth."

Everybody stopped eating as Russ explained his origin and why he came to Earth, but he didn't tell them about the Dragonballs. He explained his predicament with Zorpheus, and the battle that was probably going to take place. Everyone looked on with neutral expressions as he told his lengthy story.

"So that's the whole deal. I decided to tell you guys because I really can't train in secrecy around here. I was discovered three times, I'm horrible at keeping secrets, and I have a conscience that won't let me lie, so I decided I'd come clean and let you guys know what's probably going to happen when Zorpheus arrives." Russ looked down to the floor. "I'm sorry for not being truthful earlier." He started fumbling with his clothes. "I didn't want anybody to worry about this except for me."

Aeka stood up, walked over to Russ and knelt down. "It's okay. We will help you in any way that we can." She said, smiling. Everybody noticed her smile, and then nodded in agreement.

Russ looked up and grinned. "I appreciate it. However, once the battle begins, there won't be anything you can do to help me. He's thousands of times stronger than all of you combined, and I don't want anybody to get hurt. I hope he'll follow me to an open, uninhabited place so we can fight, undisturbed."

"I don't think you need to worry about us. We can take care of ourselves. We've done it before," Ryoko said from her seat at the table.

Russ' grin melted away as he looked over at her with an extremely serious expression on his face. "Not like this. I'll demonstrate tomorrow what I mean. I won't be using my full power, but I'll show you a sample of what could potentially happen."

"Humph. Whatever." Ryoko narrowed her golden eyes at him and shrugged her shoulders as she resumed eating her dinner.

Aeka glared at her, but turned back toward Russ. "It's okay. We'll deal with it when the time comes, alright?"

"Yeah, I suppose." Russ yawned and stretched. "I guess I should get my room set up for me to sleep in tonight." He got up off of the floor and walked over to the glass door while everybody watched. "I'll be right back. I need to go to my spacepod and grab my duffel bag and my belongings." He placed two fingers to his head and vanished. Aeka returned to her seat at the table.

"How in the world does he do that?" Tenchi asked when Russ disappeared. "The way he does it is different from the way Ryoko appears and disappears."

"Russ explained it to me earlier today. Apparently it's like some super fast movement ability, which he can use to move from one location to another, instantly. Funny though, it made a different sound than the one he demonstrated to me, and he didn't need to put his two fingers to his forehead either," Katsuhito explained. Aeka and Washu listened intently, apparently the only other people interested besides Tenchi.

A moment later, Russ re-appeared on top of the coffee table in the middle of the living room, startling Ryoko and Tenchi, and causing everybody to turn around. Russ looked down and realized where he was standing. "Whoops! I guess I was off target a little." He jumped off the table as a round of chuckles emanated from the table. He now had a large blue gym bag around his shoulder, and he had an electronic device with a pink glass eyepiece in his left hand. "Washu, here's one of my scouters, if you would like to take a look at it after dinner," he said as he held up the device.

"Hey, cool! Let me see that thing." Washu finished the last bite of her dinner and stood up, as Russ handed her the device. "How does it work?"

"You place it over your left ear, and it will stick itself to the side of your head. It feels kind of weird at first, but you get used to it."

Washu did as he said and it fastened itself to the side of her head. "Whoa, that does feel strange. How do I turn it on?"

"Press the button on the side of it and it should work."

Everybody watched as Washu played with the scouter. She felt around for the button, and then pressed it, turning it on. It did a quick self-diagnostic, and then displayed 'Ready' on the little window.

"Press the button twice and it will give you your own ki level. If you look at someone specific and press the button once, it will give a ki reading on the person or group you point it at."

Washu chuckled to herself as she pressed the button twice. A second later, it gave her a number. "What? This thing says only a hundred and ten? That seems kind of low, doesn't it?"

"Oops. I forgot to tell you that we use a different scale for ki energy than you use for your machine. To give you an idea, a normal human comes in at about level five on our scouter. Our scale is much smaller and condensed to allow us to get really high readings with it." Russ scratched the back of his head.

"Oh, okay. I guess that isn't that bad then. Let's see here." She turned toward the table and pressed the button again. The scouter targeted everybody separately and calculated a separate level for each person. "Oh wow. Tenchi comes in at a hundred, Ryoko comes in at ninety-two, Aeka comes in at ninety, Katsuhito comes in at ninety-five, Kiyone, Mihoshi, and Nobuyuki come in at level five, Ryo-Ohki comes in at 10, and lastly Sasami comes in at level 15. Very interesting." She turned toward Russ and pressed the button once more. The scouter targeted him and calculated his current ki level. "And you're only at fifty? Wait a minute, I thought you were a lot stronger than that."

"I am. As I said earlier, I can suppress my ki level to fool devices like that. Watch." Russ raised his ki a little bit, and the scouter started beeping as it calculated a new number.

Washu and Katsuhito's eyes widened a bit as they sensed his ki level increase sharply. "Now you're at five hundred. That's over five times Tenchi's power!"

"Not really. I'm not energized right now and I don't think none of you are either. I've heard of Jurians being able to switch to a battle mode which greatly increases your energy levels." Russ smiled since he was proud of the fact that he studied a bit of Jurian history.

Everybody continued to watch the two with interest. "So, what level would you come in at if you maxed yourself out?" Washu asked with a smirk on her lips.

Russ sighed and thought a moment. "Honestly, I don't know. It comes out different depending on what planet I'm on. I'll give a demonstration tomorrow and get a base power level for myself. I won't use my maximum ki level, since it isn't necessary. But if I had to guess… I'd say I'd come in around four million for my base." Washu facefaulted to the floor in shock as everybody else started at him with his or her eyes bulging. "Zorpheus would come out to be the same as well."

Washu slowly stood back up. "You're joking. That's impossible."

Russ put a goofy grin on his lips. "Believe what you want. I'll show you tomorrow." Russ yawned again. "But right now, I need to get my bedroom ready. See you guys in a bit." Russ walked up the stairs and looked down the hallway. He returned to the landing above the table. "Um… would anybody care to show me where my room is?"

Aeka stood up. "Sure, just a moment. I'm going to put these dishes in the sink and then I'll be right up."

"Okay, good enough for me! Do you guys need any help cleaning up the table?" Russ asked, still leaning over the railing.

"Oh, would you help us? We've got a lot of dishes to wash and put away," Sasami said as she smiled at Russ.

"Absolutely. It's no trouble at all." Russ dropped his duffel bag at his feet and walked back down the stairs.

Everybody else got up and placed their plates in a stack in the middle of the table. Katsuhito turned and walked out of the house, nodding in Russ' direction.

"Good night, everybody. I'm going back to the shrine. See everybody tomorrow."

"Okay, goodnight Grandpa." Yosho walked outside, closing the door behind him.

"We're going to get going too. Our patrol shift goes from about fifteen minutes from now to about six in the morning. An extra long shift too. Ten hours." Kiyone stood up. "That was a great meal Sasami."

"Waaaahhhh!!! I don't want to work that long! Come on Kiyone! We can stay here a little longer, can't we?" Mihoshi whined as she latched onto Kiyone's arm.

"Oh no, we're not going through this again." She grabbed Mihoshi's arm and nearly dragged her out the door. Russ watched in confusion and Ryoko started laughing.

"I get such a kick out of those two." Ryoko continued to laugh to herself as she stood up from the table. "Come on Tenchi, I got our new bed all ready for us," she said, as she produced a tiny little bed from her pocket.

Tenchi stared at it in disbelief. "How are we supposed to sleep on that?"

Washu looked back over her shoulder from her lab door. "I condensed it down into a portable size. Would you have rather lugged up a king size mattress to your room instead?"

"No, I guess not. Thanks, Little Washu. I really appreciate all your help." Washu smiled and then disappeared behind the closet door as Tenchi and Ryoko both went to his bedroom to prepare their new bed.

Washu poked her head back out of her lab and looked around. "Russ, I started working on your gravity enhancer. I should have it ready in a couple days."

Russ turned around. "Hey, great! Glad to hear it. One more thing, make sure it has a voice shutoff in case the thing malfunctions and flattens me to the ground."

Washu frowned. "My stuff rarely malfunctions! I'm the greatest scientific genius in the universe! Nearly everything I've made has worked perfectly."

Russ put up his hands in a submissive gesture. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. It was just a safety precaution." Russ walked over to the table and grabbed up the plates and made his way into the kitchen, followed by Sasami and Aeka. Washu frowned, and returned to her lab, closing the door behind her. A moment later a loud roar came from the outside as the Galaxy Police patrol ship took off and raced off the planet to begin its extra long day of patrolling the solar system.

"Okay, so we have this mound of pots, pans, and dishes to do?" Russ asked, as he checked out the mass of kitchen utensils in the sink.

"Yeah. Sometimes it takes up to a half hour to clean it all up by myself." Sasami looked at Russ pitifully.

"Hmmm… let's see if I can't speed things up a bit. I say, oh… fifteen seconds ought to be enough." Russ stepped over to the sink as Sasami and Aeka both looked at each other, puzzled. Russ grabbed the dish soap. "Ready… set… GO!" he said to himself as his hands started flying all over the kitchen sink, picking up pots at an insane speed, scrubbing them down, and spending a second to rinse it. He used his ki to dry the stuff off, which wasn't powerful enough to be seen, but strong enough to heat the pots and plates up to near scorching levels. Soapsuds continued to fly around for the next fifteen seconds as the stack of clean plates grew at an incredible rate.

"Done." Russ turned around and smiled at them with satisfaction. He picked up the washcloth and wiped down the sudsy counter as a stack of freshly washed dishes stood next to another stack of clean pots and pans. Aeka and Sasami just looked on in astonishment.

"Wow! That is SO COOL!" Sasami said as she grabbed Russ around the waist in a hug. "That was a huge help. Thank you so much!"

Russ blushed. "It was nothing. Really. I'll be glad to help you out in any way that I can. I can't be a total freeloader here. I need to do something to contribute to my living here."

Aeka picked up the dishes and set them into the cupboard, as Sasami put away the pans. "Well, do you want me to show you to your room now?" Aeka smiled at Russ.

"Okay, that sounds good. Just lead the way!" Russ wiped his hands off on a towel.

"Right this way. Your room is upstairs across from Tenchi's." Aeka went to open the kitchen door but Russ beat her to it. He slid the door open and gestured for her to walk though. Aeka smiled sweetly as Sasami chuckled to herself.

They both walked upstairs, and Russ grabbed his duffel bag, which he tossed aside a few minutes earlier. They walked to the end of the hallway, then Aeka slid open the door and flipped on the light. The room was bare now, aside from a bed, an empty bookshelf, a rolling office chair, and an empty desk, which had some dust on it. Aeka groaned to herself.

"Doesn't Ryoko ever clean anything?" she muttered to herself, as she blew some of the dust off of the desk.

Russ just laughed. "Sometimes I'm the same way. Well anyway, this room is plenty adequate for me. Thank you Aeka. I appreciate it."

She turned and smiled. "You're very welcome." Her smile melted away a little as she started toward the door.

"Hey, hold up a minute." She turned around. "Is something bothering you? You can always come talk to me if something is bugging you. I'd never tell anyone about it, even though I have a hard time holding secrets."

"No, it's alright. I'm just glad you're here and all. I really haven't talked with anybody lately. Everybody seems to be busy with something else." She looked at the floor as she fumbled with her clothes. Russ watched her curiously.

"You must be lonely. I could tell by the way you acted earlier today…"

"I'm sorry about that." She interrupted. "It was just an uncontrolled outburst."

Russ shook his head. "No, I don't think so. One thing I can sense is emotions from other people. I can tell you're sad or depressed, or even both."

Aeka looked up at him with her eyes welling up with tears. She sniffled. "I've just felt so left out of everything when Tenchi chose Ryoko over me. It all happened when Ryoko and myself got into a massive fight over him that nearly destroyed the house. Since that time, after he chose Ryoko, he's spent most of his free time with her. I tried to be a good sport about it, but it just pains me to see those two together, and when I think about what I lost…" She stopped as a tear rolled down her cheek.

Russ walked up and closed his bedroom door, took her by the arm, and led her over to his bed. "Please sit down. I know you want to talk about this." He sat down on the bed as she reluctantly sat down next to him. "Why are you still here? At this house, I mean? How come you didn't go back home to Jurai? You are the princess of that planet, are you not?"

"Yes I am, but I didn't want to go back. I've fallen in love with this place and it's people, and I still love Tenchi with all my heart." She thought back to Tenchi and Ryoko, laughing and enjoying each other's company as they swam in the lake and did many other things together. The tears started flowing down her cheeks. "But he's now taken, and there's nothing I can do about it." She started crying as she buried her face in her hands.

Russ wrapped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her close and gave her a sympathetic hug. "I'm sorry. I can't imagine how that must feel. Honestly, I've never even had a girlfriend before. I've never been involved in any kind of relationship with anybody, except for friendship. I've never been sought after, except for today when Washu got an eyeful of me."

Aeka looked up with her tear-streaked face and sniffled. "What happened?"

"Well, Washu wanted to… examine… me." He thought back to that incident earlier in the day. "She used this weird globe that grabbed me from behind and took off most of my clothes. It was quite a shock and a surprise. I've never had anything like that happen to me before. But now that I think about it, it seems kind of funny, especially when I think back to Washu's facial expression." He snickered a bit.

Aeka managed a little smile.

"Hey, that looks better. You have a very beautiful smile." Russ grinned at Aeka, who blushed slightly.

She sniffled. "You think so?"

"Absolutely. I have to tell you, that you two probably gave Tenchi the run of his life when both of you were pursuing him." He thought about telling her that he had no idea why Tenchi picked Ryoko over her, but figured that it may result in hurting her feelings.

She giggled lightly. "Yes, Ryoko and I were fiercely competitive over him. But honestly, now, I miss those days."

"I can imagine. But now, you have an opportunity to start something new again." Russ looked over at her and rubbed her shoulder, which felt really tense. "Wow, you're really tight back here." He slid back on the bed a little and started massaging her shoulders, slowly working down her back.

"Ohhh… that feels so good." She closed her eyes and groaned as his hands worked her tense muscles. She wiped her cheek with the back of her hand.

Russ reached over and grabbed her a tissue from the desk, then continued massaging her back. "Would you like to start training with me tomorrow? It'll give you something to do. I'll try and teach you how to fly using your ki, and we'll see how good you are in martial arts."

She opened her eyes slightly and took the tissue and rubbed under her eyes, then blew her nose. "I'd like that very much. What will we be doing?" Russ rubbed another tense spot on her back. "Oh that feels so good."

"Well, for tomorrow, not much. I'm just going to see how well you do against me in some tests. I'm going to see how strong you are, and I'm going to test your speed, and maybe your endurance. And then, we'll work on getting you to fly. Now don't be disappointed because you most likely won't get it on the first day. Hardly anybody does. It took me nearly a week to grasp the technique, and in reality, it's one of the simplest things to master. You'll probably get it on the first day and put me to shame, won't you." He chuckled lightly.

"I doubt it." She smiled at him. "But I'll take that up as a challenge." She giggled as Russ cocked his eyebrow, then put on a big grin.

Russ and Aeka talked for another two hours, until it was way past both of their bedtimes. Sasami was already in bed, and Tenchi and Ryoko finally worked out their sleeping arrangements and fell asleep. Mihoshi fell asleep on patrol again, much to the annoyance of Kiyone. Aeka finally got so tired that she fell asleep in Russ' arms. He decided not to disturb her, so he carefully tucked her into his bed. She looked so beautiful, even in the dim bedroom light. He found a bed mat rolled up in the corner of the room, which he quietly unwrapped and set up, turned out the light, then fell asleep. Only Ryo-Ohki was still awake, as she spent most of the time spying on both of them. She finally got sleepy and bounded off toward Sasami's room, found her little niche on top of Sasami's chest, and then dozed off for the night. The only sounds in the house were the crickets that were still going strong outside of the Misaki home as the time finally hit midnight, and the day finally ended.


	6. A New Day

Ep 6 – A New Day

I'm Russell Piper, and what you're about to read is my first real attempt at a fanfiction. It's based around Tenchi Universe (Tenchi TV) and the OVA so most of the main characters you've seen from there will appear here as well. It also crosses a bit with Dragonball Z with the existence of Dragonballs and immensely powerful warriors. Ryoko and Tenchi had finally chosen to be together, and Aeka is still living at the house for now. You'll see when it happens. Anyway, I'll stop flapping my yap and let you get right to the story. Enjoy! Send all hate mail / fan mail to .

Shifting positions in his spacepod, Zorpheus twiddled his thumbs, bored out of his mind. He has been on his journey for only a day, and it was already driving him insane. He slammed his fist on the computer console, initiating a vapor bath. Warm steam filled the cockpit and lingered for a few moments, then was sucked out again via the life support system. Feeling a little better, he hit the button again and initiated a second bath. Once again, warm steam filled the cockpit. However, this time it condensed in little water droplets on the glass window, and a few moments later, the steam was sucked out again. Zorpheus laughed to himself a moment.

"Ahhh. Now that felt good. But now, I need to train. Computer, where's the nearest inhabited planet with ki levels seventy five percent of my own?"

No response.

"Dammit! I hate how these stupid computers keep defaulting back to some factory preset crap." He quickly typed in the sequence to initiate voice commands.

"Voice commands ready," the computer responded in its nasal, feminine voice.

"Piece of junk. Computer, where's the nearest inhabited planet with ki levels seventy five percent of my maximum?"

"Scanning… planet found one month journey to aft. Multiple signatures."

"No, find one between here and Earth, you piece of scrap!" Zorpheus furrowed his eyebrows together as his natural eye became bloodshot. Damn computers are so stupid!

"Scanning… one planet found, approximately three months journey."

"Fine. Head toward that planet and wake me once we're within thirty minutes of landing. Initiate stasis sleep."

"Affirmative. Course set. Initiating stasis." A moment later, a purple vapor hissed through the life support system as Zorpheus drifted off to sleep. His vital signs slowed, the temperature inside the pod dropped below freezing, and all the color paled out of Zorpheus' face and skin, leaving it a sickly white.

"Stasis confirmed," his computer said to nobody, as the spacepod roared to it's new destination.

Sasami woke up from her slumber, sensing something was amiss in her room. She leaned over and squinted at her digital clock, which read four in the morning. She groaned to herself as she flopped back onto her bed, and then turned over to face Aeka. However, this time, she wasn't there. Her futon was untouched, which meant that she hadn't come to bed all night long. Sasami sat up and started to pull the covers off of her, but she felt something warm, soft, and furry in between her legs. She giggled quietly to herself, and then, silently, not wanting to disturb the sleeping cabbit, she carefully slid both her legs away from it, and scooted away from her bed. She stretched and yawned, and quietly got up, nearly falling back down because her body wasn't ready to move yet and wasn't awake. She shook the dizziness from her head and quietly opened the door, and then glided out into the dark hallway, illuminated only by the moonlight from the window at the end of the hall. She quietly crept to Tenchi's room and knocked very lightly, just loudly enough to disable the forcefield that Aeka installed many months before. She smiled at it, remembering the first time it was put to use. Washu had told her about it the next day, which Sasami had laughed hysterically at for the next two days, whenever she thought about it. She poked her head into his room, only hearing Tenchi, sound asleep in his bed with his head under the covers, probably hiding from the moonlight that was shining across his bed. She looked again and saw a few hairs sticking out from under the covers, which weren't Tenchi's. Remembering the tiny bed Ryoko produced from her pocket, reminded her of who else was there with him, with her arms wrapped tightly around him, as if someone was going to steal him away.

She quietly closed the door as silently as she opened it, then continued down the hallway, stopping at Russ' room next. She put her ear to the door, and heard a very soft moan from inside, which was definitely feminine in origin. Again, very quietly, she slid open the door and peered inside. She couldn't see very well, since the moon wasn't illuminating that particular side of the house, but the shade was up and the window was open, allowing just enough light come in, so she could see inside. On the floor, curled up into a ball with the blanket covering his face, almost snoring, was Russ, and in the bed, noisily tossing and turning, was Aeka. She moaned again, ever so softly, as she shifted positions, almost kicking the blanket off of the bed.

Sasami sighed in relief at finding her sister, so she quietly closed the door, and then went back to her room to sleep a little more. Ryo-Ohki woke up upon her return, meowing her concern as to why Sasami would be up so early.

"Shhh, I just needed to know where Aeka was. Let's go back to sleep," she said, her voice just above a whisper. She petted Ryo-Ohki, the cabbit's yellow eyes glimmering in the moonlight with concern. She meowed once more, then snuggled against Sasami's chest, trying to let sleep overtake her again.

Sasami also tried to drift back to sleep, but her body and her mind were half awake now, causing her to shift positions a few more times. Why was Aeka in Russ' room? How come she never came to bed last night? She knows I don't like sleeping alone. What did she and Russ do last night, anyway?

Allowing her thoughts to drift a while longer, she finally decided that her sister's business was her own, and she wouldn't ask about it or tell her that she had woken up because she was alone, but instead, wait for Aeka to say something about it herself. However, she was going to bring up the question of why she wasn't in her room last night when she went to bed, and why she still wasn't in bed when she woke up the next morning. A deep sleep finally overtook the little princess about a half hour later.

The sun began to rise in the east, casting a multitude of color to the now blue sky. The stars retreated to their daytime slumber, the moon vanished from view, and the morning fog continued to carpet the valley floor, coating everything in small dewdrops. A few lone clouds drifted through the sky, welcoming the new day, and promising rain for the day after. The sweet smell of summer drifted into Russ' room, as he began to stir. A couple birds chirped nearby, further rousing his sleep. Rolling onto his back, and rubbing the sleep from his eyes, Russ stretched and yawned from his heavy slumber. Half the joints in his body popped when he moved, his body not wanting to cooperate with him. Russ tried to breathe in through his nose, but only managed a squishy snort.

"Damn allergies. Why did I have to be allergic to everything common," Russ muttered to himself as he sat up and took in a deep breath through his mouth, yawning once more. His eyes adjusted to the dim sunlight filtering in through his window as he checked out his surroundings, trying to remember where he was. A moment later, he remembered whom he was with, as he looked over at Aeka, who was now snoozing peacefully on his bed, elegant as ever, even though half the covers were kicked off. He grinned to himself, remembering the previous night's lengthy conversation. He told her numerous stories about his crazy space adventures and his weird friends, his mom and dad, his home world and his life on planet Earth many years ago, and countless interests of his. Aeka had listened through all of it, being content with just resting her head on his shoulder and listening to his rather deep, smooth voice. Russ was unaccustomed to physical touch, especially the affectionate kind, but he managed to keep his composure until she eventually drifted off to sleep, bored to death over one of his techno babble stories. Russ smiled at remembering that, since he did see she was tired, but didn't seem to want to go to sleep, so instead, he told one of his most boring stories which were of no interest to a girl, and that lulled her to sleep in five minutes.

Russ yawned again as he quietly tossed back his covers and stood up, making even more noise from his joints cracking and popping. He looked at the time on the alarm clock, which was now a quarter past seven. He was already dressed, having fallen asleep in his gi again. Glancing back at Aeka's sleeping form, he silently straightened out her covers and tucked her back in, managing to not wake her up. He quietly left the room and went downstairs to the kitchen, looking for something to eat. His stomach rumbled, reminding him it was there and it wanted food. Right now. He patted his stomach as he rummaged through some of the cupboards, looking for something breakfast-like.

One of the cupboards he looked in had some pancake mix, so he grabbed that and went to the refrigerator and grabbed five eggs and the milk. Trying to remember how to make pancakes, he picked up the box and tried to read the instructions, which were in kanji, and unfortunately for him, that was something he never was able to master. He started to perspire, but then decided to wing it, figuring he could remember as he made it. Grabbing a mixing bowl and a smaller cereal bowl, he cracked open two eggs and beat them with a fork, then poured the contents into a frying pan that he placed on the stove. He turned on the fire and adjusted the flame to cook the eggs at just the right temperature, then proceeded to pour some pancake mix, milk, and the other three eggs into the mixing bowl, rapidly beating the contents with his fork until the mass smoothed out. He grabbed a large frying pan and placed that next to the cooking eggs, poured in some of the contents, and then turned on the burner.

The eggs were just about done, so he quickly grabbed himself a dinner plate, then tipped the pan to the side, letting the scrambled eggs fall in a heap in the middle of his plate. He moved them to the side, and then waited for his pancakes to finish cooking. His stomach reminded him that he was quite hungry, so instead of waiting for his pancakes to finish cooking, he started eating his eggs, wincing when he chomped down on his first bite since the eggs hadn't quite cooled yet. He quickly grabbed a glass and filled it with milk, and quickly took in a mouthful.

The kitchen door slid open as Sasami walked in, startling him.

"Oh! Good morning, Russ. I didn't expect anyone else to be up at this hour, and I could smell something good coming from down here," she said, smiling and making her way over to him. Ryo-Ohki was perched on her head, and meowed a good morning too.

"Good morning, Sasami and Ryo-Ohki. I'm sorry, but I got hungry, and I wanted some American breakfast that was fast and easy, and not cereal. I didn't wake you up, did I?" he asked.

"No, you didn't wake me up, but your cooking did. What are you making?"

Russ turned red. "I'm sorry. I'm making pancakes and scrambled eggs, and a nice tall, cool glass of milk." Russ turned his head and smiled as she walked up next to him. He scratched Ryo-Ohki's head as she meowed in contentment.

"I've never had pancakes before. Are they good?"

"Do they smell good?"

"Yeah, they do. Can you make me some pancakes and scrambled eggs?" She gave her best cute smile.

Russ started to blush. "How can I say no to someone as cute as you," he said, as he took his pancakes and placed them on his plate. He looked at it a moment, then handed it to Sasami. "Here, you can have this plate. I'll just make myself another one."

"That's okay, I can wait until you're…"

"Nope. I won't have any of that," he interrupted. He reached into one of the drawers and produced a clean fork. "Take this plate and this fork here and go have a seat and eat your breakfast." Russ had a huge grin on his face has he handed her the butter and the maple syrup to go with it.

"Thank you very much. Um… how do I eat them?"

Russ facefaulted then recovered quickly, remembering that she's been living a Japanese lifestyle. "You butter the pancakes, and then you pour the syrup over top of them. Then you just eat them with your fork. These can't really be eaten with chopsticks," he explained.

She smiled, and then walked out of the kitchen. Russ' stomach rumbled again, reminding him that it was hungry. He quickly made himself another batch of pancakes and eggs, and this time, instead of using the stove, he used his ki, cooking it in under a second.

"Whew, just the right amount of energy," he said to himself, as the eggs continued to sizzle in the pan and his pancakes shown golden brown. He quickly set his food on a fresh plate and then joined Sasami at the table. She was about half way done with her breakfast while Ryo-Ohki was happily munching on a carrot.

"So, do you like them?"

"Mmmm," she said, her mouth currently full. She swallowed. "These are really good. Where'd you learn how to make this?"

Russ buttered his pancakes, and then drowned them in syrup. "I learned how to make them back when I used to live on this planet. My parents, even though alien, had lived in America, and we consumed traditional American foods. I know quite a few dinners too that you may probably like. However, I'm more of a 'steak and potatoes' guy, meaning I don't care for mixed foods, like casseroles and stuff along those lines. I like plain and simple food, but the more complex stuff, depending on how it's prepared, can taste very good as well," he said, as he started wolfing down his breakfast. "Some of my favorites are prime rib, spareribs, veal parmesan, which is an Italian food, um… steak, fried chicken, pizza, and I'm a huge seafood eater, too."

"Wow, you sure like a lot of foods. Do you think you can show me how to make some of those?"

"Yeah, sure. I'd be glad to. But anyway, I'm actually quite picky about what I eat. There are certain things that you couldn't get me to touch with a ten foot pole."

Sasami looked at him with confusion. "Ten foot pole? What do you mean?"

"Oh, sorry, it's just an expression. It just means that you couldn't force feed me that kind of dinner without me complaining about it the whole time I'm eating it, and some foods actually get me sick," he said, blushing.

"Ahhh, okay. I see what you mean." She smiled.

"There will probably be things that you make that I won't like. Please don't take it personally. Like I said, there are a lot of things I don't like. But I do appreciate the effort that goes into the preparation of the food."

At that moment, Tenchi and Ryoko both appeared on the landing, as they started making their way down. Russ looked up and smiled, then nodded in their direction.

"Good morning," Russ and Sasami said in unison. They looked at each other with surprise, and then giggled.

"Good morning, Sasami and Russ. Mmmm, something smells good," said Tenchi, who had Ryoko wrapped around his shoulders again.

Russ blushed. "Just my pancake breakfast. I got hungry and I needed food. I didn't wake you two up as well, did I?"

"No, we usually get up around this time anyway. But the smell of food brought us out of the bedroom." Tenchi grinned, as he looked at Ryoko, who smiled back and hugged him a little tighter.

"I trust you guys got a good night sleep?"

Tenchi stretched his arms and arched his back. "Yes, we had plenty of rest last night. I slept really good."

Russ looked at both of them and blushed slightly. "Glad to hear it. Um… do you guys want some breakfast? It's not your traditional Japanese food though."

Ryoko looked at Sasami's plate, which had a small amount of maple syrup left on it, while Russ' plate was scraped clean, and then she fixed her gaze directly at Russ. "Actually, yes. Those pancakes do smell very good."

"I had made scrambled eggs too. Do you want those to go with it?"

"Why not? I'm in the mood to try something new." Ryoko grinned at Russ, and then at Tenchi, who nodded his head in agreement.

"I hope there are enough eggs left to make another breakfast or two. The same goes for the pancake mix. The box was already opened when I started using it." Russ stood up and collected his and Sasami's plates. "Let's see if there's enough stuff left to make another breakfast."

"Oh, Russ, I'll wash those dishes and you can make them breakfast, okay?" Sasami asked, as she stood up.

Russ smiled in approval. "Okay, sure, if you want to."

"No problem at all."

"Okay. Tenchi, Ryoko, I should have this done in a few moments, so I'll come get you when it's ready."

"Alright, sounds good."

Russ went to the refrigerator as Sasami went to the sink with the dirty dishes, as Tenchi and Ryoko both sat on the couch and flipped on the TV.

"Uh oh, we don't have enough eggs here, Sasami. Do you know if a store is open at this hour so we can get more?"

"Yeah, there are a few stores open. You want to go get more, right now?"

"I have to if I'm going to make breakfast for those two." Russ scratched his head. "You want to come along?"

"Sure, but how are we going to get there?"

"I can fly us there really fast, if you don't mind riding on my back for the journey. Secondly, you know where the store is," Russ laughed. "Go tell Tenchi and Ryoko that breakfast will be a few minutes longer. Also, do we have any money to buy the stuff we need?"

"Yeah, I've got the money. Be right back." Sasami left the kitchen and Russ could hear her telling those two lovebirds they had to go to the store and they'd be back in a little while.

Two minutes later, Russ and Sasami stood outside in the already very warm, summer air, ready to go to the store. Ryo-Ohki remained perched on top of Sasami's head, wanting to go along with them. Tenchi and Ryoko both came out to see them off.

"Are you ready?"

"Yup."

"Okay now, hold on tight!" Sasami got on Russ' back, piggyback style, as he lifted off the ground. "Now, hold onto my waist tightly now. We're going to fly really fast here." He leveled off his ascent and his body, trying to keep his back as flat as possible. He then started moving forward.

"Okay! Let's go!" She shouted with excitement. Ryo-Ohki meowed her enthusiasm as well, as she jumped onto Russ' back and dug her claws into his clothes.

A moment later, a small green explosion emanated around Russ and engulfed the three of them in a brilliant green flame. Sasami shrieked in surprise, and then laughed. A moment later Russ, Sasami, and Ryo-Ohki shot off like a brilliant green shooting star toward the store, leaving behind a bright green vapor trail, that faded away a moment later. Tenchi and Ryoko both stood, stunned, at what they both just saw.

"Geez, he's fast! They're probably half way to the store already," Tenchi continued to look in the direction they shot off in, trying to catch a glimpse of them.

"Hmm… I still don't know about him," she said, scowling.

Tenchi turned. "Why? What's wrong?"

"Oh, I don't know. I guess it's just bad memories from a long time ago. I'm still skittish about when another bounty hunter or whatever is going to show up, trying to bring my head home as a trophy."

Tenchi turned toward her, as her expression went from a scowl to one of worry. He leaned over and put his arm around her and pulled her close. "You don't need to worry about things like that anymore. You were let off with a full pardon from Jurai, and as far as we know, there are no more prices on your head."

"I know, I know. I just can't shake the feeling. What if Nagi decides to get revenge on me or something? I used to have a huge bounty, and since my 'heroic' efforts in my assisting you against Kagato, that potential bulge in her wallet has vanished. And she's probably still mad at me for allowing her to live from that battle on Venus."

"You worry too much," Tenchi said, and then laughed. "Who would've known you were such a worrier."

Ryoko continued to frown, but returned Tenchi's hug, which made her smile. They both turned to go inside to wait for Russ and Sasami's return, and as they both made their way back to the living room, they saw Aeka coming down the stairs, stretching and yawning. Aeka noticed the two and immediately tried to regain her regal composure. She smoothed out her kimono as she reached the living room floor.

"Good morning, Aeka. Did you sleep well?" Tenchi smiled as he and Ryoko made their way back to the couch.

"Yes. Thanks for asking," she said, smiling, then frowned when Ryoko threw her arms around Tenchi and grinned that evil little smile of hers. Aeka saw Tenchi's smile and her shoulders slumped a little, but she still managed to keep her fake smile when Tenchi looked over at her. Seeing those two like that killed her heart, but there was no reason to try to steal Tenchi away from Ryoko anymore. "What are you two doing up this early on a Saturday?"

"The smell of breakfast brought us out of bed. Russ and Sasami were both at the table eating pancakes and scrambled eggs," explained Ryoko. "They both just left to go to the store to get more ingredients. Russ offered to make us breakfast as well."

"Pancakes and scrambled eggs? I've never had that before, but it smells good down here." Aeka sat down on the couch, next to Tenchi.

"They should be home pretty fast. Russ flew them both to the store and Ryo-Ohki went with them as well."

Aeka looked out the door worriedly, hoping Sasami was going to be all right, then turned her attention back to the TV.

Russ and Sasami had just left the store and were once again airborne, out of sight of all the bystanders, with a couple bags of groceries in Russ and Sasami's grasp. Sasami continued to giggle uncontrollably, trying to contain her excitement. Her happy mood was contagious, as Russ started to laugh along with her. Ryo-Ohki meowed like crazy, also enjoying the flight.

"This is so much fun! Go faster!" Sasami shouted in delight.

Russ laughed. "Are you sure?"

"Yes! Go faster!" She laughed and giggled in anticipation. Ryo-Ohki also meowed encouragement, as she dug her claws even deeper into Russ' gi and crouched down with her ears swept behind her.

"Okay! Hold on TIGHT!" he shouted, as his ki expanded and he rocketed off much faster than he was going. He put up a small ki shield in front of them, trying his best to keep the wind reasonable. The ground was almost nothing but a blur as the threesome roared over the landscape, and Sasami couldn't contain her excitement anymore as she laughed even harder. Russ laughed right along with her, feeling so happy to be with someone so cute and nice, and who actually enjoyed some excitement. Russ looked up and caught sight of a concord aircraft racing through the sky, making its way to Tokyo's international airport.

Russ got an idea for a little fun. "Hey Sasami! See that airplane up there?"

"Yeah!"

"What do you say we have ourselves a little fun?"

Sasami laughed. "Let's go!"

Russ laughed along with her, raising his ki level even higher, causing his current speed to double. A loud boom resonated around them as their speed broke the sound barrier, trying to catch up with it.

About a minute later, he was alongside the supersonic aircraft, so he decreased his speed to fly with it. Sasami waved at all the passengers, who were all piling on top of each other, trying to get a view out of the small windows. Russ waved as well, and Ryo-Ohki meowed at the top of her voice, trying to say hello. He continued to fly along side it for a few moments, then banked off and headed back toward home.

"That was so cool!" Sasami shouted through her constant giggling. Ryo-Ohki meowed in agreement.

"You're so cool, Sasami! I wish I had a little sister like you!" he shouted over the roar of the wind and his ki. She squeezed Russ even harder and laughed. "We should be home in about ten seconds! Scoot up a little and grab onto my neck, because we're going to be landing vertically!"

Russ started decelerating, and a few moments later, stopped over backyard of the Misaki home. His ki faded away as he landed lightly on the lawn and kneeled down, as Sasami let go of his neck and jumped down onto the ground. Ryo-Ohki bounded back up on top of Sasami's head, continuing to meow her contentment. They both walked up to the porch and slid open the glass door, as Tenchi, Ryoko, and Aeka turned their attention toward the arrivals.

"Sasami! Where did you go? I was worried to death," said Aeka, as she sprang up from the couch and sprinted toward her, stopping about a foot away and noticing the grocery bags she and Russ had carried in with them.

"I'm okay, Aeka. I had so much fun! Russ is so cool! We all flew to the store, bought all the stuff we needed to make more pancakes, and we even bought bacon to go with it. The best part was flying along with that huge jet when we were on our way home," Sasami giggled and hugged Russ, who blushed and scratched the back of his head with his free hand.

Aeka looked up at him angrily, but then she forced herself to calm down. "Please don't do that without me knowing, okay?"

"How come? She was perfectly safe the whole time. Besides, she enjoyed it immensely, and I did too. Ryo-Ohki seemed to enjoy the flight too," he said, patting her on the head as she meowed a loud agreement.

Aeka sighed, and then shrugged her shoulders. "I just worry about my sister. That's all."

"Sorry to make you worry. Would you like to have pancakes, eggs, and bacon for breakfast? I'm going to make it for Tenchi and Ryoko, so I thought maybe you'd like some as well. We bought plenty of ingredients so there will be enough to go around for everybody."

She smiled, and nodded her head. "Thank you."

"Oh, don't worry about it. I'm glad to help out." He turned and disappeared into the kitchen, followed by Sasami.

A half hour later, with the sun rising higher in the sky and the temperature increasing even more, everybody sat around the table with their stomachs full, complementing Russ on his American pancake breakfast. Nobuyuki had come downstairs and Katsuhito also showed up, but Kiyone and Mihoshi stayed in bed, despite the wonderful smells floating in from outside of their door. Washu had even come out of her lab again, trying to catch another look at Russ rather than to eat breakfast, but she enjoyed it anyway. Russ smiled and blushed, not accustomed to being the center of attention.

"I'm glad you all enjoyed your breakfast. I'll clean up the mess, and then I'm going to go train outside. Let me know when and if you'd like to have that little demonstration I mentioned last night."

Sasami smiled. "Let me help you." She lifted up all the dirty plates and piled them in a neat stack, then carried them into the kitchen, tailed by Russ. Everybody else continued to converse around the table about the day's activities everybody had planned for himself or herself. In the kitchen, Russ washed all the dishes in about ten seconds, and then went outside, stopping near the waterline next to the lake, and began his warm up exercise. A moment later Aeka went outside and walked toward him. He stopped when he saw her.

"You can begin training with me whenever you want. Just let me know when you're ready," Russ said, as he stood back up from doing pushups.

She blushed. "Thank you for keeping me company last night. That was very thoughtful of you. And I'm sorry for dozing off."

"It's okay. I kind of figured you needed someone to talk to, besides someone else in the house. I appreciate the trust you've shown in me as well… telling me all you did to a complete stranger. And don't worry about falling asleep."

Aeka thought about it a moment and then smiled. "I don't know why, but I do trust you. You're so nice and you seem so innocent," she said, causing Russ to turn red. "But thank you anyway."

"Yeah. Anytime."

"Anyway… um… would you mind if we started training now?" Aeka fumbled with her kimono and looked at Russ' feet.

"Are you sure you want to?"

She nodded her head, looking up to meet his gaze. "Yes."

"Well, okay. But um… you're not planning on training with those clothes, are you?"

"Why not?"

"Well, they're very nice and I don't want you to get them dirty," he said, and then thought of something. "I've got an idea. If you don't mind, take off your kimono and some of your other clothes. Let's get you something new to wear, just for training."

She turned completely red. "I'm NOT taking off all my clothes," she shouted. "I can't believe you!" She balled her fists together as the vein started popping out of her head.

Russ turned as red as a lobster. "No, no, no," he said, putting up his hands. "Just remove your kimono and that second layer of clothes of yours. I don't mean get naked. I'm going to give you some new ones. Reason being is because the clothes you're currently wearing disappear when I generate new ones. However, if there are only one or two items, I can remove them as I generate the new clothes, instantly, and add them to the pile you have there, but any more than that just disappear."

She looked at his smile, sighed, and calmed down. She carefully untied her sash and put it down on the ground. She then removed her kimono, and then a second layer of clothes, piling them all in a lumpy mass on the grass.

"Okay. Now what?"

Russ walked over to her. "Hold still a moment. This will feel a little weird, but it won't hurt a bit, but it may surprise you. Close your eyes and relax. This'll only take a second."

She still appeared apprehensive, but she calmed down a bit more and closed her eyes, blushing all the while. Russ grinned, then placed his hand on top of her head, and then yelled at the top of his voice. A fraction of a second later, a bright white flash exploded around Aeka, and a moment later, it faded away. She cringed and put her arms up defensively, but Russ was already done.

"Okay, you can open your eyes now. And I must say, that looks really nice on you."

Aeka slowly opened her eyes, and noticed her arms had a black arm guard around them, which covered the back of her hands and surrounded her forearms, that went almost up to her elbows. Her left arm had a small, metal dragon armband that went around the top part of her bicep, and her two long ponytails where now braided together into one, tied at the end with a blue bow. She now had on black, combat style boots, and her gi was tied around her waist with a pink sash. The gi itself was orange-red, with golden yellow embroidery tracing around the outside edges, with a yellow emblem on the front, which went across her chest. Her pants that went with the gi were also orange-red, which were tucked into her boots and under her shirt.

Aeka continued to look over herself as everybody ran out of the house, wondering what that super bright flash was. Russ continued to admire his handiwork, as Aeka looked up and smiled at him.

"So, do you like it?" He asked, grinning.

"Yes! It's so light and it fits great! How did you do that?"

Russ smiled. "It's one of my more useless abilities. I learned it after Zorpheus and I had defeated some enemies on a deserted planet." Russ started blushing again. "After our fight with our opponents, our clothes were so torn up that we basically were… naked. So I decided to learn how to generate clothes, like Piccolo had done. Zorpheus never bothered to learn that ability though."

Aeka started to perspire but then giggled. "You fought the rest of your battle, naked?"

Russ turned so red that she thought he was going to explode. He swallowed and tried to calm down. "Yeah. After that fight I absolutely had to learn how to do that to prevent that from happening again."

At that moment, everybody else had run up to them, and they stopped and stared at Aeka. She blushed slightly and smiled.

Sasami smiled and giggled happily. "You look great, Aeka! It brings out the color of your eyes." She ran up to her sister and looked her over, occasionally poking and feeling the material.

"That material can repel attacks too. Small ones," Russ said, smiling. "My clothes are made out of the same stuff."

Tenchi, Washu, and Nobuyuki continued to look Aeka over, giving her complements on her new outfit. Katsuhito and Ryoko didn't say anything, but just smiled.

"Well, would you like to get started, Aeka?"

"With everybody around here?" She started to blush, embarrassed.

"It will serve as another purpose. I'd like to see how easily distracted you are. What I want you to do from this point on, is to focus on me ONLY," he said. "When you're in a fight, a distraction can open up your defenses and invite an attack. It may not be fatal, but it's a free shot for your enemy."

Everybody backed up a ways and sat down on the grass, interested to see what was about to happen. Katsuhito continued to stand next to everybody, watching his half-sister carefully.

"Let's begin by simply sparring with each other, so I can judge your skills. Do not hold back anything. You will not hurt me," he said with a grin, taunting her slightly. "Then I'll test your endurance. Are you ready?"

"Yes." She took up a defensive stance, one that Russ actually recognized.

"That's the Jurai royal family's form of martial arts. Interesting," he said to himself. "Let's see what she can do."

"Ready! Begin," Russ shouted, as he assumed his own defensive stance.

Neither opponent moved, but instead continued to stare at each other intently, looking into each other's eyes, trying to determine who was going to make the first move. Ryoko snickered near the sidelines, figuring they just looked goofy standing like statues.

"Hey! You two do plan on moving today, right?" She shouted from her seat on the grass, cracking up. Sasami glared at her, but didn't say anything. Aeka, on the other hand, started to turn red a bit as she tensed her fists and allowed her eyes to move over to her.

That was when Russ rushed her. He kept his ki super low, so he didn't move anywhere near as fast as he could, as he yelled a battlecry. Aeka's attention snapped back to her opponent, who was now only a couple feet away with his fist pulled back. He aimed at her face, but she moved to the side as it sailed over her shoulder. She quickly brought up her knee and planted it in Russ' stomach, causing him to catapult over it in total shock, due to his momentum, as choruses of "oooh's" were said from the sidelines. He managed to recover in mid-air and land on his feet as he spun back around to face her. She now took the offensive and charged at him, trying to plant a kick in his face, causing him to lean back a bit and catch her foot in his hands, and then he used his own foot to kick Aeka's other leg out from under her, causing her to fall to the ground. Russ quickly brought his foot back up and tried to plant it in her midsection, but she rolled out of the way just in time. She continued to roll away as she sprang back to her feet, breathing heavily, more from the rush of battle than fatigue, and resumed her defensive stance. Washu quietly called out their ki levels as they fought, continuing to play with Russ' scouter.

"You're faster and stronger than I thought. I'm impressed," he said, cracking his knuckles. "However you need to work on your concentration. Ryoko's outburst was enough to nearly catch you off guard. That's bad news."

"She's distracting and annoying. She's always been like that."

"Hey! I'm not the one who almost got her face smashed in by a flying fist, princess!" Ryoko yelled from across the yard.

Russ glanced over at Ryoko who was still taunting her, and then he turned his attention back to Aeka, who was getting really mad at her, as usual. "Hey Aeka. Ignore it. Look only at me. Listen only to me. Do you understand?"

She looked back at Russ, her fists and teeth clenched together, but when she saw the seriousness in Russ' face, she relaxed a little. "I'm sorry. Let's continue."

"Don't worry. She's next. I can't stand someone who talks big but can't do anything about it," he said, loudly enough for Ryoko to hear. She looked back at Russ in shock, and then she sat back down quietly, as she shot daggers at Aeka from her golden eyes.

Russ and Aeka both prepared to go for a second bout, taking up their own defensive postures, staring each other down, trying to entice the other into attacking. Finally Aeka's patience ran out as she rushed Russ with a flying kick. He dodged to the side, but then Aeka snapped her leg out, trying to catch him in the side of his head. He ducked the blow, and then balled up his fist, trying to punch her in the stomach. However, his fist hit nothing but air as Aeka moved out of the way, but then she grabbed his outstretched arm and flung him away. He once again regained his balance in mid-air and landed on his feet, and then quickly as he was thrown away, he raced back at her, and started a flurry of punches and kicks.

"Let's see how fast you can dodge and block this! HAAAA!" he yelled, as he continued to perform random moves, which were all impressively blocked, dodged, or parried. Russ increased his speed a little more, and resumed his onslaught. Amazingly, Aeka seemed to move a little faster as well, as she knocked a fist out of the way. Suddenly, she saw an opening, and she started her own offensive. Russ wasn't expecting it, but he was able to avoid her fist as it sailed through his former position, but now it was Russ on the defensive, as Aeka started her own flurry of punches and kicks. Russ swiftly blocked her fists and dodged her kicks, trying to keep his ki from going any higher and tipping the scale of balance even more into his favor.

"Wow! I never knew Aeka could move that fast! Isn't she great?" Sasami asked from her seat on the grass.

"Yeah. Real fast. I can move faster than that," said Ryoko. She felt the need to taunt Aeka further. "Hey Princess! Can you move any slower? I think a snail just slithered by you!"

Aeka ignored her insults and increased her speed a little more. In response, Russ did the same, as he now restarted his own offense. He jumped back and ran at her, planning on kicking her right in the stomach, but Aeka put up her forcefield, and Russ slammed into it full force. Russ hung in mid-air, when Aeka dropped her forcefield and planted a kick at his legs, sending him spinning to the ground. He landed on his hands and sprang back to his feet.

"Excellent! That was a good tactic! That's what I like to see," Russ grinned, as he raced at her once again with the intent of performing the same thing as before. Aeka didn't see it coming and his foot connected, sending her sprawling to the ground.

"But, you need to keep your guard up until the fight is over," Russ snickered.

Aeka groaned as she got back up and coughed a little, evidence of pain on her face. Ryoko exploded laughing, clearly enjoying that. Aeka glared at her, breathing hard, but didn't say anything.

Russ finally had enough. "Take five, Aeka." He turned toward Ryoko. "It's YOUR turn now, Ryoko. Come on down and step up."

Ryoko stopped laughing as she looked at him, a slight hint of anxiety on her face. "You mean me?"

"I don't see any other Ryoko's around here, do you? Get over here. Let's see what you can do," he said, using his index finger to motion her over.

Everybody turned to stare at Ryoko, who was now quite apprehensive, but she rose from her seat on the ground. The gem on her wrist started glowing as her clothes changed into a black and red battlesuit. Russ looked on in mild surprise.

"Oooh, so she can change her clothes. Let's see what else she can do," Russ said, snickering the entire time. Ryoko just stared at him, a hint of anger in her eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry, did I make you mad?" Russ tried his best to hide his humor, but Aeka let it all out. She laughed out loud, clutching her stomach from the pain, but clearly enjoying Ryoko's reaction.

Ryoko floated a short distance away from Russ, and turned to face him. Russ just put on a crooked grin as he continued to taunt her, using only his facial expressions. She knew what he was trying to do, and it was working, as her anger continued to build.

"Are you ready, little girl? Playtime is over," Russ taunted, as he assumed a different defensive posture, placing his left hand flat out in front, with his other hand balled up into a fist next to his chest as he stood sideways to her, placing his rear foot at a right angle to his other foot, which was out front, facing Ryoko.

"Ohhh, do us all a favor and shut up, will you?" she scowled at him, irritated at his insults. She faced him with her fists out front, resembling a boxer rather than a martial artist. Russ just laughed.

"Okay, let's get this show on the road! You may begin when you're ready, little girl," Russ said, straining to keep from falling over, laughing. Tenchi looked worried while sitting on the sidelines, as he had remembered of how strong Russ really was. He started to get up, but Katsuhito put a hand on his shoulder and shook his head.

"She needs to learn a little humility. Let her fight unimpeded."

"But Grandpa, what if she gets hurt?" He asked, clearly distressed.

"He won't hurt her. He just wants to rough her up a bit. Don't worry."

"Well, if you say so." Katsuhito looked at both of them as he produced two bokkens from his kimono. Tenchi looked up at him in total surprise.

"What are you doing?" he nearly shouted. "You can't fight him!"

"I'm not going to interfere, but I'd like to see how I measure up to him as well." Tenchi just shook his head in frustration.

"Ryoko's current energy level is a little higher than Russ' is. Let's see what happens," Washu said, still glancing at the scouter's pink window as they started to do battle.

Ryoko lifted off the ground and flew at Russ, trying to plant a fist in his face, which he swiftly dodged as she sailed past, and then spun around, planting a kick right on her butt, sending her flying a short distance away. Russ exploded laughing, especially upon seeing Ryoko's look of fury. Aeka also snickered from the sidelines, where she took a seat next to Sasami, who smiled up at her sister.

"I'll get you for that," she screamed, as a bright orange ki sword appeared in her hand, and she charged. Russ looked on in shock.

"What the hell? How did you do that?" he shouted, as he raised his ki level to keep his speed faster than she could swing her shimmering blade. She swung it in a frenzy, trying to hit him somewhere. Anywhere. But Russ was just too fast for her. He flew up into the air as Ryoko followed closely behind. He stopped and dodged her sword as it sailed on through where his midsection used to be. He quickly mounted an offense, punching and kicking rapidly, targeting her arm and hand that held her sword. He quickly spun around, trying to kick her hand in a roundhouse, but narrowly missed, and his foot hit the base of her blade, but didn't do anything to his boot or foot. Russ darted away as she swung it down at him again, narrowly missing an attempt to slice him into two halves. Her sword vanished, but then she hurled a small, orange energy ball at him, which Russ swatted away. She stopped a moment and stared.

"Oh yeah?! Dodge this!" she shouted, as she gathered her full power into another ball of energy, which she hurled at him. Russ saw it coming, and he raised his ki much higher than it needed to be to survive the blast, and allowed it to slam into him, which exploded, concealing him in a cloud of smoke.

"Ryoko's energy level has gone up to just over two thousand," Washu exclaimed.

"Oh my god! Russ!" Aeka screamed from the ground. "What did you do to him!?"

"Aeka, calm down. Just wait," said Katsuhito. Washu checked her scouter, and confirmed there were two ki signatures.

Everybody stopped and waited for the smoke to clear. A few moments later, everybody could see Russ floating in the middle, totally unscathed, grinning from ear to ear. Ryoko looked on with mixed horror and surprise. Everybody else just breathed a sigh of relief as Aeka continued to give Ryoko her best, infuriated stare.

"Impressive, Ryoko. That was a pretty powerful blast you threw at me. But tell me," he said, floating to the ground. "How did you form a sword out of your energy?"

Ryoko also floated to the ground, never taking her eyes off of him. "I really never thought about it. I just let the energy gather into my hand and squeeze, and it forms into a blade."

"Really? That simple, eh?" Russ gathered a small green ball of energy in his hand, and squeezed. Unfortunately for him, it exploded, once again encasing him in a cloud of smoke. A light breeze started blowing and it moved the smoke away, but Russ stood there with his hand covered in a light coating of soot, and he coughed a few times, waving the last of the smoke away from his face.

"I guess it ISN'T that simple, Ryoko," he said, grinning. "But I'm sure I'll figure it out eventually." He brought his hands out in front of him, wrist to wrist, forming his hands into a cup. "But now, let's see how well you deal with this."

He swung his hands to his side as he started straining to put energy into his hands. "Ka… Me… Ha… Me…" He yelled, his voice echoing around and seeming to come from every direction. A bright blue ball of ki swirled around in his hands, continuing to grow in intensity and power. He decided to make the beam just strong enough to stun her, but not do anything more than that. Everybody in the audience gasped, even Katsuhito, as Washu watched the scouter go crazy, calculating a new ki level just for the blast. She wasn't worried, because the level of the blast was quite low.

"HAAAA!" He shouted at the top of his voice, as he swung his hands back out in front of him, allowing the blue beam to roar out of his hands, toward it's target. Ryoko continued to look on in horror, as the beam neared her position. It didn't take long for the beam to reach her, but she put up her hands in defense, trying to stop the Kamehameha wave from blowing her away. The beam slammed into her hands, causing her to slide back some ten feet before she stopped and held the beam in it's place. Russ continued to pour a minuscule amount of energy into the beam, and let her hold it back for a few moments, as he snickered to himself.

"Very good, Ryoko!" He yelled over to her, who was still struggling to keep the beam in its place. Russ cranked his ki up a little higher, allowing the beam to expand a little in size and in force. Ryoko strained even harder, doing her very best to keep the beam from moving her. The wind it was generating was breathtaking, as everybody shielded his or her faces from the blowing dust and debris.

Ryoko screamed in a fit of determination, and started to fight back, pushing against his Kamehameha wave with all of her might. She slowly started advancing, ever so slowly, which surprised Russ. He smiled, as she continued to force her way forward, not wanting to give up any ground to him, not wanting to lose to some stranger, since she was the most powerful space pirate in existence!

Russ kept his beam steady, and let her continue to advance on his position, but she was quite a ways off and she had a lot of ground to cover before she'd finally make it to where he was standing.

Deciding she had enough, he lessened the power in his beam and allowed it to fizzle out, slowly enough to keep Ryoko from falling on her face. She stopped pushing and collapsed to her knees, completely out of breath and panting hard to feed the oxygen to her starving muscles. Russ calmly walked over to her and put a hand on her shoulder, and looked into her golden yellow eyes, and smiled. Tenchi sprang up from the audience and was about to run over, but he stopped himself when he saw Aeka's face and the unhappiness written on it, as she watched him.

"Excellent work, Ryoko. I'm very impressed that you were able to hold back that amount of power. However, to put it bluntly, don't open your big mouth when someone is training someone else, because most of them will be able to make a fool out of you, without even trying, okay?" Russ smiled.

She continued to breathe hard, but she managed a weak smile, as Russ took her hand and helped her to her feet. He took a few steps back and bowed out of respect, letting her know that their little scuffle was over for today.

"You can train with me, along with Aeka, if you want. Just when you do, do NOT make fun of anybody. Do you understand that?"

She nodded, as her breathing finally slowed to something close to normal. "Thank you for your offer," she said, quietly. "I think I may take you up on it, since I haven't had any real action around here in a long time. I need the exercise."

Russ snickered evilly and leaned over to her. "Doesn't Tenchi give you enough exercise?" he whispered, causing her to break out into a cold sweat and turn super red.

"That's none of your business!" she shot back, glaring at him, but then changing over to a grin.

Russ and Ryoko walked over to everybody, as they all smiled and applauded for the show. Everybody congratulated Ryoko on her prowess and determination, and then gave Russ a few complements. Aeka even had managed to grumble out a few words of encouragement to Ryoko.

Katsuhito stepped forward toward Russ, just within his field of vision, so he turned around and looked at the two wooden swords Katsuhito had in his hands.

"It's my turn now," he said, handing Russ one of the bokkens. He looked at it, and then at Lord Katsuhito, and nodded.

"Okay. I'll try my hand at going against you, but I'm not going to use a sword. It's not my style of weapon. But there is a weapon that I am accustomed to using. Just a moment." Russ zanzokened out of sight, and about five seconds later, reappeared in the same spot, holding a broom handle. "My favorite weapon is a staff. Will you fight against me and my broomstick?" Russ snickered, but Katsuhito smiled and nodded.

"Not everybody uses a sword. Let's see how good you really are with that thing," he said, his eyes narrowing slightly. Russ cocked his eyebrow and smiled, as they both walked back out to the battleground.

They stood about twenty feet apart, with Katsuhito holding his bokken like a samurai warrior, and Russ, after doing a little showboating with his staff, held it in a ready position, as he put on his poker face, doing his best to not let Katsuhito know what he was thinking. They continued to stare each other down, neither letting on to what the other was considering.

Katsuhito looked at something over Russ' shoulder. "Hey, what's…" he said, but he was cut off in mid sentence by Russ' charge, totally surprised that his usual tactic didn't result in a lapse of concentration, but rather, caught himself almost completely off guard. A second later a loud crack of wood against wood signified the beginning of a match. Russ backed off a moment.

"First one to touch the other person in the chest with a weapon, wins the match," said Russ, as Katsuhito nodded in agreement. They faced off once more, and this time Russ took the initiative again, charging him with his staff spinning all around his body, trying to nail Katsuhito in the head. The sound of the staff whipping through the air could be heard all the way back to the audience, who watched in awe as Katsuhito and Russ squared off.

Russ continued to spin the staff at a rapid pace, continually using both sides to his advantage, as Katsuhito had to move twice as fast to keep Russ' staff at bay. Katsuhito had never gone up against anybody who used anything other than a sword before, and therefore, he realized that he might need a bit of practice against Russ in the future.

Russ continued his onslaught, mixing up his attack with the staff with a variety of martial arts. Russ swung his staff at Katsuhito's feet, which was blocked, and then he tried to kick Katsuhito in the face, narrowly missing again, as Katsuhito nodded his head to the side, then swung his bokken down at Russ' shoulder, which was dodged. Russ swung his staff at Katsuhito's feet again, but he jumped over it, flipped over Russ' head, and planted a kick onto his back, causing Russ to move forward a few paces. He spun around, bringing his staff into another defensive posture as Katsuhito brought up his bokken and pointed it right at Russ' head.

"Very good. You're a very powerful warrior for someone who lives on Earth," Russ said. "Let's see what other tricks you have up your sleeve." Russ blurred out of sight but didn't rematerialize anywhere. Katsuhito didn't move, but instead, closed his eyes, concentrating, and waited. Everybody in the audience continued to watch in suspense, waiting for Russ to reappear. Seconds felt like minutes as Katsuhito remained still, patiently waiting for his chance to strike. And a moment later, an opportunity presented itself, as Russ rematerialized behind him. Katsuhito sensed it as he swung his bokken in a wide arc, aimed directly at Russ' chest. However, Russ didn't expect it, but he was fast enough to see it coming, as he zanzokened away again, missing his own opportunity to strike. Russ rematerialized a couple feet away, holding his staff at ready, as Katsuhito turned to face him.

"How did Grandpa know he was going to do that?" Tenchi asked in awe. His grandfather never ceased to amaze him.

"I have no idea. I see something new with him every time I watch him," Washu said, continuing to watch the scouter and the battle that continued to play out in front of them. "I wish I could study him as well as Russ now." She blushed.

Aeka looked over at Washu and cleared her throat, which Washu ignored. "Would you stop trying to make me think you're trying to get him on a date or something?"

She looked over at Aeka and smiled. "Who WOULDN'T try to get him on a date?" She laughed, which only got Aeka even more irritated. "Hey, take it easy. I already told you I wouldn't ask him, and I don't go back on my word."

"You could've fooled me." Aeka turned away from Washu and looked Russ over once again.

"Hey Aeka?"

"Yes Sasami? What is it?" she said, turning toward her little sister and smiling.

"How come you never came to bed last night? I waited up for you a little while but then I just got so tired that I fell asleep," she said, looking concerned.

"I'm sorry, Sasami. I accidentally fell asleep when Russ was telling me about one of his stories. I guess he tucked me into his bed and then he fell asleep on the floor. Earlier today, I couldn't figure out why there was a bed on the floor, and then I remembered what happened the night before. He's very thoughtful and nice."

Sasami smiled. "You've got a crush on him, don't you?"

Aeka started to blush. "Absolutely not. It's just…" she trailed off and looked back at Russ, who was still battling against Katsuhito.

Sasami giggled lightly. "It's okay. He is very nice. I'm happy for you," she said, blushing a bit herself.

"Aeka, why don't you ask him out on a date or something?" asked Ryoko, looking concerned at her.

"Because I'm not that kind of woman," Aeka snapped, blushing slightly. "Besides, we only met him yesterday and it is way too early to think about a relationship." Her anger then turned to unhappiness as she remembered what Russ told her originally. He wasn't ready for a relationship, and he wasn't looking for one, either. She sighed as she flopped back onto the grass, looking up into the sky, hoping that someday, maybe he would ask her to be his, forever.

Ryoko noticed it and felt a little guilty. "Would you want me to ask him for you?"

"No! One day we maybe will get involved, but as of right now, it's just way too early."

"I'm sorry, Aeka. I didn't mean anything," Ryoko said, as she watched Aeka with pleading eyes.

"No, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gotten all worked up over that. I know you mean well."

Tenchi looked over at Aeka and felt a twinge of guilt creeping up on him again. Once again he felt terrible at having to make that accursed choice some time ago, especially while looking at Aeka and her eyes, which told him all the emotions she was currently feeling. He slowly got up and scooted over to her.

"I'm sorry, Aeka. I wish I never had to choose so long ago. I knew that choice would shatter one of your hearts, and I regret having to do that. I've never, ever, wanted to hurt either of you two, and I never wanted to see either of you two hurt like that, ever again." Tenchi watched Aeka's expression turn even unhappier as a tear fell from one of her eyes. "However, now, you have a chance to start something fresh and new, Aeka. He's standing right over there," he said, pointing toward Russ, who was still trying to penetrate Katsuhito's defense. "He seems different than anybody I've met before. He's so casual, but hard working, always willing to lend a helping hand. Give him a little time and stop dwelling on the past, and I'm sure you'll be much happier."

Aeka sat up and faced Tenchi, trying to keep from sobbing in front of everybody. "I understand what you mean. It's just that… well… maybe I'm meant to be alone. I've had an attraction to two people now. My brother," she said, looking at the aged Yosho, "and you, Tenchi. But both of you, due to some other circumstance, turned me down. Yosho didn't know how I felt, and with you, Ryoko managed to win your heart, fairly." She sniffled as she brushed the tears away from her face.

Tenchi wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into a hug. Ryoko didn't say anything, but turned her attention back to the ongoing battle. "I'll never stop regretting breaking your heart, Aeka. If I could've done things differently, I would have. You know I would have."

"I know," she said, and she carefully removed his arm from around her. "I also must stop living in the past and look toward the future. I know I'll never change your heart, and I would never attempt to, either. I'm sorry for ruining the mood here and bringing up my own personal problems."

"It's okay. But, I've seen how much happier you've been since Russ has arrived. I sincerely hope you find something in him, and him in you. He'd be crazy to pass by someone like you," Tenchi said, smiling.

Aeka sniffled, and then smiled as she wiped her face dry on her gi. "Thank you, Tenchi. That means a lot."

"You're welcome. Now, let's see how…" Tenchi stopped talking as Katsuhito hurled a white energy ball at Russ, who was flying about two feet above the ground. The ball slammed into Russ' chest as he started to fly away, but then he moved the ball aside and let it continue its way, when it fizzled out. "Grandpa can shoot energy too? Geez, when will I learn how to do stuff like that?" he chuckled, then continued to watch the battle unfold, as Aeka watched Russ, smiling and blushing the whole time.

"You're getting annoying, Lord Katsuhito. Take it as a complement," Russ said, as he continued to swing the staff at a rapid pace, still unable to nail him in the chest, as Katsuhito's sword was nearly as agile as the staff. Both participants laughed a moment, and then resumed their duel. Russ gathered up a small blue ball of energy and hurled it at Katsuhito, who put up his forcefield, causing the ball to ricochet off and crash into the ground several hundred feet away. "Interesting. I knew you possessed the power, but I haven't seen you use it until now. Let's see how much power you do have," he said, snickering, as he prepared himself for another low-powered energy blast, bringing both his hands out on front of them, wrist to wrist, but not touching, and keeping his arms completely outstretched, as a small yellow ball of ki appeared between his hands. Katsuhito saw him start charging his energy, so he jumped back a couple dozen feet as he brought his bokken back in front of himself.

"Final Flash!" he shouted at the top of his voice, allowing a yellow beam to roar out of his hands. Katsuhito saw it coming, and instead of doing a test of strength as Russ was expecting, he jumped aside as the beam sailed past, and rushed him, bokken at his side, preparing to slam the blade into Russ' torso. Totally catching Russ off guard, he swung, and the blade passed right through where Russ stood, slicing cleanly through him. A moment later, the afterimage of him faded away, leaving nothing but air.

Katsuhito stood in the clearing, stumped, and wiped his brow with the back of his hand. He was sweating, as he took in a deep breath, and calmed himself down. "Hey Russ?"

He rematerialized a few feet away, holding his staff at ready. "Yeah?"

"Want to call a draw for now?"

"We could, but I got a better idea." Almost instantly, Russ was in front of Katsuhito, with the staff resting gently on his chest. "I win."

He looked down on his chest and saw the staff resting on his kimono, then smiled. "You're really fast. That was impressive. I was going to once again try to distract you into letting down your defense. However, you just moved so fast right there that I had no hope of even blocking it. Excellent. You're a formidable opponent."

Russ bowed out of respect. "You are, too. You're much better than I expected." They both turned and walked back toward the audience, who were being unusually quiet. He noticed the quietness of everybody and scratched his head. "What happened here? Why is everybody being so quiet?" He looked over at Aeka and smiled, who returned the sentiment.

"That was some demonstration there, Russ," Nobuyuki said from the ground. Russ grinned in appreciation.

"Well, are you guys ready for the real demonstration now?" Everybody looked at each other, then back at Russ.

"Real demonstration?"

"Yeah. I mentioned it last night. I'll show you a pale comparison of what Zorpheus and myself are really capable of." He took a few steps back and started straining, putting some power into a special technique.

"Tri-form!" he growled, as his body became transparent. He blurred as two more copies of himself emerged from his original form, and then he became solid again, as there were now two clones of him standing to either side. Everybody gasped, trying to figure out what was going on. The middle Russ turned toward his two counterparts. "Okay, you can charge up to maximum, but don't use the Kaioken attack, and do not go Super Saiyan." Both counterparts nodded toward each other as they both flew up into the air, and the original Russ sat down next to everybody. "I'll explain what is going on, and I'll try to help you see them once they get rolling. They're going to move so fast that the human eye can't see it, so you'll need to focus on the energy their bodies will be generating. I can help you with that." He looked up and noticed the other two were about to begin. "Here we go."

Both Russ' screamed at the top of their voices. The sky turned dark and the horizon glowed, as the wind picked up and started to swirl around both individuals, and then both participants exploded in a huge green flash, engulfing them both in green flame.

"Their power… is… at… one million, and climbing," stuttered Washu, as everybody gasped in awe. The ground started to shake as many small rocks and pebbles started to lift into the air. Azaka and Kamadake both appeared next to Aeka, and they both put up a forcefield to shield everybody from the event.

"Big deal. So they can put on a show. Doesn't mean anything," Ryoko sneered, glaring at Washu.

"No," Washu said, with a look of absolute terror on her face, as the wind started to increase in velocity. "This is for real." Her look worried Ryoko, as she looked back up to the two combatants. "They're now at two million, and still climbing…"

Both Russ' continued to power up, howling in excitement, pain, and anticipation. The scouter over Washu's ear was still recalculating a power level for each individual. After about a minute of powering up, the shaking subsided and the wind calmed down, as both of them stared at each other.

"They're… at… four million, seven hundred thousand. Incredible." Washu continued to look at the scouter's window in disbelief, since she couldn't sense an energy level as high as Russ' currently was.

"You think that's incredible, just you wait until they start fighting," Russ said, grinning. "They're going to put on a show like you've never seen before. And there they go…"


	7. Power

Ep 7 - Power

I'm Russell Piper, and what you're about to read is my first real attempt at a fanfiction. It's based around Tenchi Universe (Tenchi TV) and the OVA so most of the main characters you've seen from there will appear here as well. It also crosses a bit with Dragonball Z with the existence of Dragonballs and immensely powerful warriors. Ryoko and Tenchi had finally chosen to be together, and Aeka is still living at the house for now. You'll see when it happens. Anyway, I'll stop flapping my yap and let you get right to the story. Enjoy! Send all hate mail / fan mail to .

Sleeping peacefully after a hard day's worth of work, Kiyone and Mihoshi lay on their futons, engrossed in a deep slumber. The sun was poking it's way through their window and it lay across their bedspread, but stayed away from their faces, almost as if it knew enough to let them sleep. Mihoshi shifted to a more comfortable position, the only noises made were a soft moan and the sound of fabric rubbing against fabric. Kiyone drew in a deep breath and stirred slightly, but then drifted back to sleep a second later.

The sun, which was shining brightly, began to grow dark, as the wind outside of their window increased in velocity. Mihoshi turned over again, pulling the blanket over her head to drown out the noise from the wind. A few moments later, a pair of loud, primal screams roared into their ears, as they both sat bolt upright in their beds and immediately looked outside their window.

"What is going on here?! Why is the sky so funny looking? Who screamed?" Kiyone threw back her covers as she ran to the window. Mihoshi stretched and yawned, totally unconcerned at what was going on around her, until the house began shaking. Her eyes went wide as she also shot out of bed and grabbed onto Kiyone's waist.

"Waaahh! Kiyone! What's happening here? I'm scared!" Mihoshi squeezed even harder, causing Kiyone to start making croaking noises. "Kiyone?" She looked up at her face, which was turning blue, and then let go. Kiyone collapsed to the floor, taking in deep breaths from being crushed.

"It's an earthquake or a tornado, you idiot! We've got to get out of here!" Kiyone bolted for the door followed closely behind by Mihoshi. They ran down the stairs and outside the back door and into the yard. Stopping and staring at the two bright green lights over the lake, they noticed everybody sitting on the ground, staring at the same thing. They quickly ran over to find out what the heck was going on.

Mihoshi watched in awe, as they ran over. "Oh wow, look at the pretty green lights!" She giggled. "I wonder what they're doing here though?"

"What is going on here?" Kiyone shouted over the roar of the wind and the rumbling of the ground, which subsided a few moments later. A second after that, both green lights vanished, and were replaced with a massive shockwave in between the two, nearly blowing everybody over onto their backs.

The original Russ jumped behind everybody, his own ki exploding around him as he yelled at the top of his voice, and put up a huge ki dome over everybody's head, shielding the house as well. He remained standing with is fists and teeth clenched, as he concentrated on keeping the shield up. A second later, a white light engulfed him as his karate gi changed from green to blue. Azaka and Kamadake cautiously lowered their own forcefield.

"Hey! Can you hear me? What the heck is going on here?!" Kiyone shouted at the very top of her voice. Aeka, Ryoko, and Tenchi all turned toward her and waved her over. "Would someone PLEASE tell me what is going on?"

"Russ is giving us a demonstration of what's to be expected to happen when Zorpheus arrives," Tenchi shouted. "Remember from last night?"

Kiyone thought a moment, and nodded her head. "Who is fighting? Russ is standing right over there!" She shouted, pointing a finger at the original Russ, who was continuing to concentrate, holding the shield up.

"Russ split himself into three parts! Two of them are up there fighting, and I guess the original is the one standing over there!" A moment later, an intense shockwave caused the ground to shudder, despite the shield.

Everybody turned back toward the battle, but they couldn't see anything except the many shockwaves that were exploding in the air. An instant later, both combatants became visible, and then vanished again, resulting in another shockwave.

"Hey Russ! What's going on? We can't see anything!" Tenchi yelled over the loudness of the sonic booms.

"Oh yeah, I forgot about that," he said, through clenched teeth. Continuing to concentrate, he made his way over to the group and knelt down, his green ki still burning around him. "Relax a moment." Russ placed his hands on Tenchi and Ryoko's shoulders, causing them both to cringe slightly, as a white shimmering glow engulfed his hands, and a moment later, the glow made it's way to their heads.

"Whoa, what the…" Tenchi stuttered, as the dual Russ' started to become visible. At first, they were only green streaks, slamming into each other at an incredible pace, but within a few seconds, both of their bodies became completely visible.

Everybody else turned to look at Ryoko and Tenchi, watching them as their eyes and heads darted all over the place, as they could now plainly see what was going on. Russ stood up and moved over to Katsuhito and Nobuyuki and did the same thing, and then moved over to Aeka and Sasami, and then over to Kiyone and Mihoshi, and finally he made his way to Washu, and once again performed the same technique. He moved over to Azaka and Kamadake. "Can you see them?"

"No. They're moving too fast," said Kamadake.

"Well, let's see if this works on you. It's harmless, so even if it doesn't work you won't be damaged or injured." Russ placed his hands on the two logs and once again the while glow emanated from his hands, and transferred itself inside the wooden guardians. "Can you see them now?"

"Yes! Oh my, are they fast," said Azaka.

Russ looked over at Ryo-Ohki, who was sitting on top of Sasami's head. "Can you see them, Ryo-Ohki?"

She meowed a response and shook her head.

"Okay, let's try this then." He placed his hand on her head, lightly petting her as the white glow transferred itself to her mind. Immediately she started meowing like crazy and watching the action unfold. He laughed and then backed off some ways and resumed his stance, concentrating solely on keeping the shield up.

"Incredible. Look at them go! Man, are they fast!" Tenchi shouted over the shockwaves, from his seat on the ground, has his eyes followed the battle.

Both Russ' stopped for a moment, and one of them engulfed himself in a bright white flash, and his green gi became orange, so now everybody could tell them apart. Almost as instantly, the orange Russ raced at the one in green and tried to slam his fist into the other's gut, but it was blocked, resulting in another massive shockwave, rumbling the ground as if a bomb went off nearby. The one in green retaliated by swinging his foot at the other's head, narrowly missing as the orange one ducked, then brought his own leg up to kick the one in green in the side, but was blocked. The one in green grabbed the orange Russ' leg and hurled him into the ground, but he managed to stop himself about a foot above the ground and zanzokened away, just as the green Russ tried to slam his arm into the other's chest. The green Russ spun around in time to see a blue energy ball being hurled at him from above, and he punted the energy ball away, causing it to sail into outer space and explode.

Seeing an opportunity, the orange Russ raced at the one in green, slamming him in the face with his foot and sending him crashing into the lake, creating a huge splash that went nearly a hundred feet in the air. Charging up energy in his hands, he let loose a hailstorm of energy balls into the water, causing many more small explosions that churned the water as if in a hurricane. A second later a huge, blue energy ball rocketed out of the water, heading straight for the orange Russ. He quickly blurred away and rematerialized a few feet away, just as the blast sailed through his former position. Barely having time to think of an attack, another ball of energy was heading straight for him, forcing him to zanzoken away to another spot. Now, expecting another energy ball, he braced himself for the blast, which never came. The green Russ phased into existence behind the orange one, and tried to slam his fists into his back, but narrowly missed, as his opponent spun around with his foot outstretched, trying to kick him in the chest. The green one blocked it and grabbed his foot, ready to throw him into the ground, but the orange one spun around, using his captured foot as a pivot, and brought his other leg up, successfully smashing his leg into the green one's head. He recovered quickly and began a barrage of punches and kicks, which were blocked or dodged.

Getting irritated, both Russ' landed on the ground and raced at each other, locking both their hands together in a test of strength. Their green ki exploded around them, as one tried to overpower the other. The ground shaking grew even more intense, as a crater started to form under both of their feet. Their grunting and yelling could just barely be heard over the roar of their ki and the earthquake they were causing. The orange Russ lost patience and slammed his foot into the green's stomach, forcing him to break the hold and jump back.

The dual Russ' zanzokened away, reappearing back in the air, where a flurry of punches and kicks ensued. Both tried to make an offense, but every attack was countered with an identical attack from his counterpart. Fists and feet slammed into each other, causing more shockwaves. The green Russ zanzokened a dozen feet away and hurled a blue energy ball at his opponent, who swatted it away easily, but the distraction worked. The green Russ zanzokened behind the orange one and slammed him on top of his head with both his hands, causing him to fall like a screaming bomb and slam into the ground, making a small crater. He quickly got back up and shot back into the air with a green vapor trail following him, both fists out in front, trying to slam them into the other's stomach. The green Russ shot off higher into the air, also leaving a green vapor trail, as the one in orange caught up. Both Russ' slammed into each other multiple times at a mind-blowing rate, creating many sonic explosions. They both turned around and raced back down toward the Earth, as they both blurred out of vision, reappearing across the yard, where another flurry of punches and kicks ensued. They both zanzokened out of sight, but this time they reappeared about five feet in front of everybody, just outside the shield perimeter, where they continued to exchange punches. They landed on the ground, continuing to try to break though the other's defense. The orange one finally connected a punch on his opponents jaw, sending him flying through a tree over two hundred feet away. The tree trunk shattered under the force of the blow, and fell over.

"Good god, they're going to destroy each other!" Tenchi shouted over the noise, looking over at everyone. Nobody seemed to notice Tenchi's outburst, as they were all transfixed on the battle.

Ryoko leaned over to Tenchi. "I'm sure glad he's on our side! There's no way I could compete with something like this," she shouted. "He's the fastest person I've ever seen. He could have really hurt us when he was sparring with us earlier!"

"You're not kidding," he responded. Looking behind him at the original Russ, his concern increased a little as he saw the sadistic grin on the blue Russ' face, even though he was still concentrating on holding the shield to keep the shockwaves at bay.

"Hey Washu! Can you explain what's going on? How is this even possible?" Ryoko yelled over to her mother.

"I have no idea! This is the first time I've ever documented something like this," she shouted back. "Their power level has neither increased or decreased during the duration of this battle. I wonder if he's capable of even MORE power," she yelled, looking back at Russ. Her phantom computer materialized in front of her as she typed in a frenzy, documenting everything she was watching.

The Russ in blue grinned at the comment, knowing full well that he could easily blow away what they're currently observing. Just doing a Kaioken Attack at level two would double his power and speed. And going Super Saiyan would increase it by at least a factor of fifty, but it required a lot of energy to transform, so he didn't do it often. Not only that, but the violent emotions a Super Saiyan experiences also deterred him from going to that mode.

Katsuhito continued to watch intently, observing his moves and his attack style. Never before seeing this style of fighting, it was quite a learning experience. Several of Russ' moves that he watched he figured he'd remember, and try them out during a sparring match with Tenchi. Even though Tenchi was no match for him, it was good practice. Even better, he wanted to learn Russ' technique and style of fighting in its entirety, just in case his current style, even though super secret and rare, failed him. However, he knew he couldn't reveal his own style of fighting, unless Russ learned it from that little sparring match earlier.

"I should've brought my camera out here to record this," Nobuyuki said to Katsuhito. "This is great action stuff!"

"Sorry, but a camera wouldn't be able to pick up their movements," Russ shouted from behind, just barely hearing his comment. "I had to enhance your own senses just so you could see them!" Nobuyuki looked disappointed, but that quickly melted away as both Russ' materialized a couple dozen feet away, exchanging fists and kicks.

Aeka continued to watch with mixed emotions. This wasn't the guy she sat with last night. This one was bloodthirsty and extremely violent. She felt frightened of this side of Russ, as they continued to battle out in front, and the one behind her watched with amusement.

*What am I getting myself into? I had no idea he was like THIS! Did I make a mistake in trusting him? What if he turned against me in a fit of rage? I could never defend myself against him, and neither can anybody else here… not even Ryoko!* Continuing to watch the battle unfold, Aeka thought about him a little more. *He did say that he was here to defend the Earth, so his motives are good. And he was very nice to me last night, and he never tried to take advantage of me either. Maybe his heart is in the right place, but why is he so violent? And why is he enjoying this? It's barbaric!* She wrung her hands in front of her. *Should I really give him a chance? So far, he hasn't done anything wrong, and he's been helpful and very nice to everybody, even that monster woman.* She glared over at Ryoko who was intently watching the battle, huddled next to Tenchi. *At least that fight is over with.*

The orange Russ zanzokened to the ground and brought his hands out in front of him, charging an energy beam. "Big Bang Attaaaaaaack!!!" He screamed at the top of his voice, as a monstrous yellow beam roared out of his hands, streaking it's way toward the Russ in green. The force of the beam blew all the dust out from under him, resulting in a huge windstorm and another shockwave, just from the launching of the beam.

The green Russ saw it coming, and prepared a counterattack. As the beam reached him, he slammed his fist into it, altering its course directly for the Misaki home. Everybody except for Katsuhito screamed in horror, as the beam neared the house's position.

The Russ in blue saw it change course and start its descent. Realizing that he wasn't generating enough energy to keep a forcefield of that size intact, he had to power up even more. "Kaioken Attack times TWO!" he screamed, as his ki turned from green to red, and burned with an intense fury, as his power shot through the roof.

Washu's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets when the scouter beeped and started recalculating his new power level.

Russ realized that it probably still wasn't enough to stop a blast of that size. "TIMES THREE!" he screamed, as his ki and energy expanded even further and higher, and he braced for the impact. Washu and Katsuhito almost immediately started suffering an intense headache as his power skyrocketed, and the scouter recalculated his new level again. The Big Bang Attack slammed into the shield, cracking with overwhelming energy and causing a minor tremor. It then exploded, doing no damage at all to the house and the surrounding area.

The two Russ' stopped their fighting and floated back down to the ground in front of everybody, as the Russ in blue disengaged the Kaioken and returned his ki level to normal, and his ki changed back from red to green. The splitting headache both Katsuhito and Washu had immediately subsided.

Washu rubbed her temples and checked the scouter. "I… I don't believe it. This has to be a mistake. It calculated your energy level at fourteen million, one hundred thousand! How is that POSSIBLE? How much more energy are you hiding?" She yelled, even though it was now quiet, since the battle ceased.

"I told you, the four million, seven hundred thousand was my base power level. I can go much higher than that using special techniques," Russ said, looking insulted.

"HOW much higher?"

"A lot higher than what I'm leading on here. I can't say for certain, and I'm not going to try powering up to my maximum. Not only that, but that scouter cannot measure a level as high as mine."

"Wow. And you need to get stronger than what you are already?" She asked, eyeing him. "That's absurd! You're the strongest person I've ever seen, in both real life and documented history!"

Russ chuckled. "Thanks, but I'm no where near the strength of some of the other Saiyan warriors that have lived. Their history documents were few and far between, so it's no wonder you don't know about it." Remembering what went on a moment before, he glared at his two counterparts. "Try to be more careful with those ki attacks. I was fortunate to see it coming and had enough time to counter that."

Both Russ' nodded toward the one in blue, and faced each other again, then blurred out of sight to continue their battle.

"One other thing you guys," the Russ in blue began. "Do not try to sense a power level like mine when I'm charged up that high. Just try to block it out. That headache can get much worse than what you experienced, depending on how high I go." He rubbed his chin. "If you guys had a higher ki level for yourselves, there wouldn't be a problem." Russ turned toward Washu. "That scouter has a limit of twenty million. After that, it usually either shuts down, or explodes from overload, but I don't need to go that high today."

*So he can go up to at least twenty million now. Amazing. I'm going to have to see if I can get this scouter to calculate an estimated level for him, or build a machine that can do that.* Washu grinned evilly a moment and then glanced at Russ.

Washu and Katsuhito nodded, then turned their attention back to the orange and green clothed Russ' as they prepared to go into round two, their green ki burning intensely around each of them when they both rocketed off into the air. As they both reached the apex of their ascent, the green Russ zanzokened to a lower position and started firing hundreds of small yellow energy balls, all of which were screaming like fireworks to his opponent. Just before they reached their target, the orange Russ blurred out of sight and rematerialized about fifty feet away, as the energy blasts sailed through his former position and went up in a crescendo of miniature explosions. The green Russ quickly changed his target and continued firing, as the orange one raced off, dodging all the blasts that came too close to him. He quickly changed direction, making a beeline back for the green Russ, charging his own ki blast and launching it quickly, as the many smaller blasts from the green one bounced harmlessly off the much larger energy blast.

Realizing it was going to slam into the ground and cause all kinds of damage, the blue Russ quickly blurred in between the green Russ and the energy blast, and gave it a roundhouse that sent it out of Earth's orbit.

"I told you guys to be more careful!!!" He snarled at both his counterparts. Almost as instantly, he got another idea to make things more interesting. Slamming his foot into the green one's chest, sending him crashing into the ground, the blue Russ sped off to the orange one and started his own flurry of punches and kicks. A moment later the green Russ materialized next to both of them, and attacked the Russ in blue. It quickly became a double team, as both the green and orange Russ attacked him, as he speedily dodged, blocked and parried all their blows.

Everybody on the ground continued to watch in bewilderment as now all three Russ' were now in a frenzy, trying to land a blow on each other at a rapid pace. The orange one finally succeeded and planted a foot in his stomach, sending him to the ground. The blue one landed on his feet as he blocked another attack by the green one as he sailed past and landed behind him. Landing in front of him, the orange one took up a defensive stance as the one behind him prepared to attack. The Russ in blue placed both his hands toward his opponents and let lose a large energy beam from his hands, slamming into both participants, knocking them back hundreds of feet. A moment of silence ensued, as he stood idly and smirked, and glanced back at everybody, watching their faces smiling at their reactions. He zanzokened behind everybody and put up the ki shield once more, and told his two counterparts telepathically to put on one giant, grand finale.

The orange and green Russ' appeared in the sky, hundreds of feet apart, as they both began charging their signature energy attack. Both participants placed their hands outstretched in front of them, palms facing outward, as a yellow energy ball formed out in front, crackling with blue lightning bolts, that was surrounding the yellow sphere, which was continuing to grow in size.

"This is it! Hold on to your sanity!" Russ shouted from behind everyone. Both energy balls were now nearly six feet in diameter, and still growing. The crackling of the blue lightning bolts continued to grow more intense, as the size of the ball finally started touching both hands.

Finally, the ball was finished charging, as it was now ten feet in diameter. "BUSTER… CANNON… FIRE!!!!" They screamed in unison. Massive, yellow energy beams roared out of the balls, surrounded in blue lightning, and slammed into each other in between both participants, making one of the largest shockwaves ever seen. Some trees were uprooted and flung away like toothpicks, but the ground remained intact. The floating onsen was tossed around a little, but fortunately, it was a very stable structure. The roar of both beams was deafening, as everybody shielded their faces, even though the forcefield protected them. The force of the shockwave slammed into the shield, causing a large tremor in the ground and the air, and then the only thing remained were hurricane forced winds and the roar of the beams.

The two heads of the beams were in the middle of both the orange and green Russ', as they began a massive test of strength and will. Both continued to scream and apply pressure, but neither wavered nor gave any ground to the other. Unconsciously, they both began to apply even more power to the beams, causing them to grow even larger and more intense, but keeping their own ki level steady.

Nobody could see the two Russ' anymore, since they were both hidden behind the energy ball that the beams were coming from. It was so bright that it was difficult to even look at, but everybody shielded their eyes and watched, waiting to see what was going to happen and who was going to win.

The head between both beams finally had gotten so big from the buildup of energy, that it started growing unstable, and lost its round shape. Both Russ' saw it at the last moment, but it was too late. The mass of energy between the two detonated, and went up like a hydrogen bomb, engulfing both participants in the explosion.

The Russ on the ground moved his shield as quickly as he could. "Kaioken Attack Times THREE," he screamed, and attempted to contain the blast, but some of the energy leaked out of it, but not enough to cause any damage. The two doppelgangers inside the shield were consumed, as the explosion finally died down and faded away, leaving nothing but a ball of smoke. Russ wiped the back of his head with his hand, lowered the forcefield, and disengaged the Kaioken, as the sky and wind returned to normal, and all the shaking of the ground subsided.

The sun was shining and the birds were once again chirping, even though it looked like a hurricane had hit the place, but for the most part, the area was undamaged. The ball of smoke blew away, but incredibly, both the green and orange Russ' were floating in mid-air, totally unscathed, aside from scuffed clothes. They landed on the ground in front of the blue one, bowed, and merged with the original. Russ turned toward everybody and bowed, acknowledging the stunned look on everybody and grinning.

"So… what did you think?"

Silence answered him as they all continued to stare, unable to speak or say anything from the shock. Russ just grinned even wider, knowing he wowed them good.

Katsuhito was the first to recover from the display, and he smiled, walked over, and put his hand on Russ' shoulder. "That was absolutely amazing. I'm certainly glad you're on our side."

Russ smiled and bowed again. "Thank you. I'm glad you enjoyed the show."

"Well, I need to get back to the shrine now. I'll see you later." Katsuhito turned and slowly walked back toward the steps, grinning the whole time.

"Well, what about the rest of you? Impressed?"

Most everybody nodded, and then smiled, as they began to idly chatter with each other, and with Russ. Aeka stood up and walked over to him, concerned about something. "You looked like you were enjoying that. Were you?"

Russ was taken aback, but he then faced the ground, unable to meet her gaze. "I'm a Saiyan. I have the blood of a warrior race flowing through me. The only time I'm really, truly happy, is when I'm fighting, or preparing for a fight." He realized that what he had done was in total contrast as to the side he allowed Aeka to see yesterday. "Yes, I did enjoy that. I enjoy fighting the most. It was the original reason my race existed. To fight." He gazed into Aeka's amethyst eyes, not knowing what else to say that would make much of a difference. "I'm sorry, Aeka. But this is a side of me that exists, and cannot be ignored."

In total bewilderment to Russ, she smiled and nodded her head. "I'm glad you were honest. I've never met a Saiyan before you."

"In reality, it isn't often that I actually DO fight. Most of the time the side you see of me is what I've been this whole time, being nice, friendly, and calm. I would never do anything to hurt any of you. All of you have been so nice to me and didn't care about my appearance, or my race, or why I really came. And when I did tell you why I came, it still didn't matter, and you continued to show me kindness. That's something that I'll always hold dear to me." Russ smiled and nodded his head. "Anyway, I worked up quite a sweat, so I'm going to go take a bath and cool off for a while. It's super hot out here."

Everybody nodded in agreement as they all stood up to go back inside.

"I'll fix us some lemonade to cool off with," offered Sasami. "It'll only take a few minutes."

"That sounds good Sasami! Let's go." Tenchi and company went inside the house, leaving Russ in the middle of the field.

"Whew, man it's hot. Feels like a hundred degrees with this humidity." He looked up at the onsen and decided against going in. "I'll just jump in the lake and cool off for a while." He leapt into the air a good twenty feet, and dove into the water, cannonball style, creating a huge splash. Coming up for air a moment later, he shook the water out of his hair, took in some deep breaths, and disappeared beneath the surface of the water again.

Russ caught sight of a large fish swimming by, and deciding to test his reflexes, he shot off after it, chasing it all over the lake bottom. Using his ki to propel him even faster, he caught up with the doomed fish and grabbed its tail, then brought it to the lake surface, breaking through the surface to get another breath of air. He let the fish go and let it swim away, watching it until it got out of sight.

Feeling more relaxed, he began floating on his back, concentrating on nothing at all except for the sound of the water lapping up against his ears and the coolness of the water. He continued to relax for another ten minutes, then jumped out of the water, soaking wet. Powering up slightly, he snapped his ki around him, drying him and his blue gi almost instantly, and feeling the heat rush back to his skin from the hot and humid summer air.

A few moments later, he got an idea and teleported to his spacepod, opened it up and reached inside, producing a large stereo boom box, and a handful of CD's. Teleporting back to the house, he flew up to his window and landed inside, placing his stereo on the desk and the stack of CD's next to it. "Oh man, it's even hotter up here than it is outside," he grumbled to himself. He picked up his stereo and the CD's again and flew back outside, closing the screen behind him, and made his way over to the shrine. He spied a large cliff overlooking the lake and made his way over there, and landed under a tree, sitting down and resting the stereo and CD's next to him, as he took in the view over the bluff. He sighed peacefully and rested his back against the tree, and he picked out the first CD he wanted to play, put it in the player, and picked out the first song he wanted to hear.

Cranking up the volume, the music began with what sounded like some sort of Indian chant with a drumbeat, and then a full orchestra kicked in.

A young girl began singing:

[In Japanese]

"The dark night sky above,

Exists to expose our hearts as,

They call out to each other,

When the two of us are apart."

The orchestra increased to an apex, and the girl continued to sing, as Russ closed his eyes and allowed his imagination to take him away. He thought back to the original animation he heard the theme from, Record of Lodoss War - Chronicles of the Heroic Knight, and the name of the song, Kiseki No Umi. He increased the volume of the stereo a little more, listening to the fullness of her voice and the power of the orchestra, as he took in a deep breath, and mentally replayed the introduction to the show in his mind, seeing the dragons soaring across the screen, and the main characters, as they sat on the horse and charged through the field.

Inside the house, everybody sat in the living room, drinking a tall, ice-cold glass of lemonade. Tenchi and Ryoko sat together on the love seat. Ryoko continued to flirt with Tenchi, as she slid her hand up to his crotch, causing him to turn blue in the face, but he managed a grin in Ryoko's direction, which only caused her to flirt even more. Nobuyuki continued to watch the two out of the corner of his eye, not wanting to look directly at them since he knew what Tenchi's reaction was going to be. Ryoko leaned over to Tenchi and whispered something in his ear, making Tenchi redden. She continued to whisper naughty things as Tenchi continued to blush even harder, and eventually a little trickle of blood started to stream out of his nose. She giggled and slid herself closer to him. "And don't think I won't, either," she whispered seductively. Tenchi just shook his head as he tried to force himself to calm down.

"Come on, Ryoko," he hissed. "Please don't do this in front of everybody. It's embarrassing!"

"I know, that's why I do it," she said, giggling, and staring lustfully into Tenchi's eyes.

Kiyone and Mihoshi sat on the couch, next to Nobuyuki, since they didn't feel tired anymore, and didn't have to go back to work for a couple days, unless there was an emergency. Kiyone thought about how much of a burden they were to the house, and had been debating on moving out, to live on their own. Of course, Mihoshi probably wouldn't like the idea, but Kiyone felt that she didn't do enough to deserve to stay at the house, living and eating for free. She was the responsible one, and she did not want to mooch off of anybody any longer. Deciding on bringing it up later to Mihoshi, she steeled a glance at Tenchi and Ryoko, and blushed when she saw Ryoko's look of lust as she continued to flirt with Tenchi.

Aeka looked around, choosing to ignore what was transpiring on the loveseat, and realized Russ was absent. "Where's Russ at? He got out of the lake a short while ago and then vanished."

"I don't know. He's probably outside somewhere," answered Sasami. Ryo-Ohki meowed an agreement, as she was now perched on Sasami's shoulder.

Aeka frowned slightly. "Oh, okay. I'm going to go take this glass of lemonade to him. I'm sure he's really hot from that massive fight he put on for us outside."

Nobuyuki rose from the couch and reached into his pocket, drawing out his car keys. "I'm going to be going shopping for a while. I saw something that caught my interest, and it would give me an opportunity to get myself into a hobby. I'll be back in a while. See everybody later, and keep cool." He walked out the kitchen door and then turned around. "Oh yeah, thanks for the lemonade, Sasami. That was great."

She smiled. "You're welcome father. I'll make more later." He nodded and left the living room.

Aeka filled up two glasses of lemonade and tossed in some ice, and also left the house. She made her way over to the stairway leading up to the shrine, and proceeded to make her way to Tenchi's training area.

About half way up the stairway, she could hear some music coming from a little higher up the hill. Curious about what she was listening to, she made her way over to the bluff, and listened for a few moments, as she saw Russ sitting under the tree with the stereo next to him. The music was very soothing and unusual, as she watched him. *Wow. He went from a rampaging barbarian to one of the calmest people I've ever seen. And he has good taste in music too.* She quietly crept over to where Russ was sitting, when he opened his eyes and looked directly at her, and smiled.

She returned his smile, as Russ turned down the volume of the stereo. "I've brought you some lemonade," she said, as she handed over the glass, which was dripping with condensation.

"Thank you very much," he said, then took a drink. "Ahhh. This is great! I didn't think lemonade could taste this good."

"Sasami made it."

"Oh? I'll have to thank her," he said, and rested his head back against the tree, as the music continued to its finale.

"Why didn't you come inside after you got out of the lake?"

Russ looked uneasily over at Aeka. "I'm not much for groups. I'm more of a loner," he said, as he looked away. "I've been alone for a long time. Zorpheus and I used to hang around together when we were partners and allies, but that ended some time ago. And before I met him, I never really had any friends, so I was alone then, too."

Russ slid over a little as Aeka sat down next to him and leaned back against the tree. She was still clothed in the karate gi that he had given her earlier. They both sat in silence, taking in the peaceful serenity of the land, and the comforting rhythm of the music, until it finished and quieted down, allowing the ambient noises of the forest and the light breeze overtake their ears.

"That was very pretty. I had no idea you liked music like that."

Russ reopened his eyes and looked over at Aeka. "Most people assume the kinds of music they like by their appearance. I do that. When I saw you, I imagined a few tunes that I figured would suit you almost perfectly." Russ grinned. "You probably thought I was more into heavy metal or techno, or something like that. Well, if you did, you're partially correct. I love a large variety of music." He reached over to the stereo and selected another song from the hundreds of titles on his CD. "Listen to this one," he said as the stereo began playing, the sound of a guitar strumming some chords, and a male singer began, as a bunch of electronic instruments and loud music began thumping through the speakers.

[In English]

"I wanna take you on a roller coaster,

I wanna tell you that I'm feeling closer,

I wanna push it right over the line,

I wanna push it right over the line,

The line…

The line…"

Aeka cringed a moment, then listened at the many instruments, the vocals, and the fast rhythm of the song. Surprisingly, it was rather catchy, as Russ' foot moved with the beat. Russ turned up the volume of the stereo a bit more and smiled, as he continued to watch Aeka's expression. About three minutes later, the song ended, and Russ hit the stop button on the player.

"What was that? I couldn't understand any of the lyrics." Aeka looked a little confused.

"That song was by Lunatic Calm, and the name of the song is Leave You Far Behind, and it came from an American movie, called The Matrix. It's a great techno song. That movie contained a lot of action and martial arts. It was really cool. If I can find a copy of it somewhere, I'll show it to you, but I don't think you'd be interested in something like that."

Aeka shook her head. "Probably not. But anyway, what else do you have on that CD?"

Russ laughed. "I've got hundreds of songs. Any particular genre you'd like to hear?"

"Well, that first song you were playing. Could you play another one from that album?"

"Yeah, I've got a few more titles from that on here. Let's see. Ahhh, how about this one," he said, has he selected another song.

The song began playing, sounding like a waltz. A piano and several other instruments began playing as well, as a young woman began to sing.

[In Japanese]

"The way that you embrace me from behind,

The words of your land you softly whisper to me,

Romantic in a way that almost tears at my heart,

I am your prisoner.

Lo sono prigionera,

Tonight you have gently bound me up in your arms, my love…"

They both listened to the waltz as it continued, both of their minds drifting in imagination. Aeka imagined an endless field on Jurai, the wind blowing softly as thousands of flower petals drifted past, as she stood with her arms outstretched, smiling, and twirling slowly, caught up in the beauty of the planet. Russ replayed the introduction to the animation in his mind, remembering the dragon that perched itself on top of that large hill, with its wings spread wide.

Four minutes later, the song wound down and ended, as Aeka opened her eyes and smiled. "That was really nice too. What was that called?"

"That was Eternity, from Record of Lodoss War, an animation I used to really enjoy. The other song you heard was from Chronicles, a TV spin-off from that series."

Aeka nodded, and drank the rest of her lemonade and Russ followed suit, finishing off his lemonade in a few gulps. He cringed a bit from the tartness, but it was good… very good. He wiped his forehead with the back of his hand and sighed. Reaching over to the stereo once more, he selected Days of Summer by Yanni, and hit the play button, turning down the volume so it was just loud enough to hear without actually having to pay attention to it.

"It's really nice here. So calm, peaceful, and quiet. Nothing like the city I used to live in," Russ said, looking over at Aeka. "Could you tell me about your planet? I've never been there before."

Aeka thought a few moments and closed her eyes. "It is a very beautiful place," she began. "It has many of the same things you can find here on Earth, just different varieties. We have some of the most beautiful flowers you've ever seen, in many colors, such as reds, blues, greens, and violets, and other colors as well." She sighed a moment as she thought back to her planet, bringing up old memories of the many things she had seen and done. "One of the things that I used to love doing, is walking through our garden maze. Sasami loved it too. It was very large, but it was very beautiful. The bushes were always so neat and trimmed, and they were always lush and green. In the middle of that maze, we had a large fountain, where I used to sit and dangle my feet in the cool water. I used to spend hours walking through that maze, shirking my duties as the First Princess, just so I could be alone. The buildings were always artistically crafted, and all of them were made from the wood of Jurai's trees. A lot of the buildings were actually made inside trees as well. Inside the Royal Palace, there was a huge area, inside a hollowed out part of the place, where our Royal Spaceship Trees were grown. It was really nice, and I used to like to spend time in there as well, conversing with the trees."

Russ sighed. "I've been to many planets, but Jurai sounds like a wonderful place. Are there any holidays there?"

"Oh yes. As a matter of fact, the Startica festival of Jurai will be starting in about two weeks. It always has lots of things to do, and they shoot off fireworks, and there are many shops to buy or do things at. It's similar to the fairs that exist here. It lasts for several days."

Russ sat, thoughtful for a moment. "Do you think it would be possible for us to go to the Startica festival? I'd love to see it."

Aeka looked up and smiled sweetly. "It would take us a long while to get there. I don't think Tenchi and his family could spare that kind of time." She hung her head slightly as her expression changed to sadness. "I do miss my planet and its people too. I'd love to go home for a visit and see everybody again."

"How far away is Jurai from here?" Russ smacked his head. "Never mind. I wouldn't expect you to know. Let's go to my ship. That can tell us exactly how far away it is." Russ stood up and turned toward Aeka, and offered his hand. She smiled and accepted his hand, and he carefully helped her to her feet. "Would you like to walk, fly, or teleport?" Aeka looked a little confused, and she didn't answer. Russ noticed it and snickered to himself. "Well, if you don't mind, we'll fly to my pod. It's a little ways from here, and we'd get there a little faster, and get a real nice aerial view of the place. Plus, it'll be your first flying lesson," Russ said, and smiled, thanking his memory for storing that.

"Okay. This sounds exciting," she said, as she stepped closer to Russ.

"You can do this quite easily, actually. You already have the necessary power to fly, but you just need to learn how to control it to do that. Close your eyes and think about your forcefield," he said, as she shut her eyes, a small smile still evident on her lips. "Okay, good. Now, think about how you form your forcefield, and how you command it to appear and disappear at will."

She thought hard, nodded her head, and mumbled a yes.

"Think about how you call your power to bring up your forcefield. You command your energy to form into a shield." She nodded her head slightly, continuing to concentrate. "You can do the same thing, but you can force your power to levitate you into the air, as you can force your power into a shield. You just change the command, or how you want to manipulate it. You can will yourself into the air, as you can will your forcefield into existence. You can will it to do many, many other things as well."

A light breeze began blowing, ruffling her gi and her hair, as Russ watched her concentrate. Her determination was amazing. Russ had only seen one other person who had the same determination and concentration that she was displaying. Zorpheus. His power, determination, and will to win had brought him out on top of many battles that were fought, when they were allies, like the first time he went Super Saiyan.

"You two Saiyans are dead. Your entire race is the scum of the universe, and I'm here to remedy that, which Frieza failed to do. Prepare yourselves," said Quadel, a Tenma-jin, standing some fifty feet away, the orange dust and dirt blowing about, distorting his figure. He was tall, just over seven feet, towering over both Zorpheus and Russ as if they were children, however, both Russ and Zorpheus were pretty tall themselves. Quadel's eyes were blue, but plain, and his blonde hair flowed behind him in a long mane, nearly two feet in length. His royal blue robes swirled around him, and his Saiyan-like armor was black, instead of the typical white with yellow, and his boots and gloves were black.

They were in the middle of nowhere, nothing but rocks and dust for miles, the perfect place for a fitting end to someone's life. The air was thick with dust, making it difficult to breathe and see, and the oxygen was very thin, making it one of the most hostile environments to do battle in. To make matters worse, the air had a tinge of methane gas, making the whole place smell like rotten eggs. Rocks and giant boulders littered the ground, and the sky was orange, clouded by the enormous amount of dust. There were two suns in the sky, providing plenty of light, even though the dust. The temperature was remarkably pleasant, and even more so with the stiff wind that was blowing. Both Russ and Zorpheus took in their surroundings, and then turned their attention to their opponent.

"I see we have another one who labels people, just by their race," Zorpheus sneered. "What are we about to get into a fight over anyway? We didn't do anything."

"Shut up," Quadel growled, his complexion seething with hatred. "All you Saiyans are the same. You come, acting all nice and crap, and then you stab that person in the back. You're all sneaky, lying, cheating, low down, disgusting bastards." He balled up both his fists in rage. "All of you think you're innocent. All you ever want to do is fight and hurt people for your own selfish ambitions. Even Frieza knew that, which is why he hired your race into service. You were a valuable asset to him, until you tried to kill him, forcing him to destroy your home world."

Russ and Zorpheus looked at each other and shrugged. "Okay, that's all true, but what did WE do?" Russ scratched his head.

"You are a Saiyan. That's your only fault."

"Oh, that's it? There's GOT to be more to it than that," Zorpheus said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

"I told you to shut up."

"Why are we wasting our time with this idiot? I'd rather go back to that planet we were just at and pick up those babes!" Zorpheus almost started drooling as his mind went back to that topless bar.

Russ rolled his eyes and smacked him on the back of the head. "Would you please pay attention? That guy standing over there wants to KILL us, okay? Besides, those places are disgusting. The only girl I'd want to see naked is the one I fall in love with."

"Oh, where's your sense of adventure! You're never going to get anywhere if you don't LOOK!"

"Good grief. And you wonder why you get kicked in the crotch so often."

"That's why I keep an industrial strength jock strap down there now," Zorpheus said, snickering. Russ turned a few shades of pink and recovered a moment later, then shook his head.

"SHUT UP YOU TWO," Quadel screamed, his face contorted with rage and hatred. His ki exploded around him in a brilliant purple flash as the ground gave way and cratered under him, kicking up tons of dust and rocks and sandblasting both Zorpheus and Russ as they put their hands up over their faces.

"Wow, this guy has some strength, but we should be able to tear him apart, no problem." Stepping back a few feet, Zorpheus' ki roared to life around him in a blue explosion, causing a hailstorm of rocks to shoot away from him as the ground began to crumble and shake. Russ screamed, more from irritation than pain, from being sandblasted on two sides now. Zorpheus started laughing at Russ' predicament, until his ki exploded around him in a green flash. Russ glared at him a moment, then grinned.

"Time to go to work. You want to go first, Zorpheus?"

"Uh, okay. No problem. I won't even break a sweat."

"You're getting overconfident again, Butthead. Just pay attention to what you're doing this time."

"Put a sock in it, Beavis. I'll be fine," he said, now walking over to Quadel, who was about finished powering up. Russ realized what was said a second later, and started laughing. *Beavis and Butthead. Oh brother. That wasn't even on purpose!* He laughed even harder, and after recovering, he started concentrating on the task at hand.

Zorpheus and Quadel stood directly in front of each other, each sizing the other up. Their blue and purple ki's were nearly touching, as their gaze bore into each other's eyes, daring each other to make the first move. Standing off to the side, his green gi glowing around him, Russ watched, and waited.

"What's your name, anyway? I'd like to know who's ass I'm about to mop the ground with," Zorpheus said, his lips turning into an amused smirk.

"My name is Quadel, and your name doesn't matter. Get ready to be trounced, and to pay for the sin of destroying my home."

Both Russ and Zorpheus stopped a moment, and then realized this was all about revenge. "Okay, so now we know this is about revenge. WE didn't destroy your planet, okay? We're not like that."

"You're all alike. Prepare to die," Quadel snarled.

Slowly, Zorpheus tossed his cape to the side, exposing the hilt to a sword that was sheathed on a belt around his waist. Quadel began laughing, as he removed his own cape and tossed it into the air, letting the wind carry it away. Thinking Zorpheus was distracted, he speedily balled up his fist and hurled it straight into Zorpheus' face, but he hit nothing but air. Zorpheus tilted his head to the side just enough to allow him to miss him completely. Taunting him, Zorpheus grinned widely and snickered as he took a few steps back and unsheathed his sword.

The sword was very unusual. The blade didn't shine like steel, but rather, looked heavily oxidized and old. It was fairly thick, but it wasn't extremely wide. Shining bronze, the hilt and handle were fairly large, with a violet jewel placed in the center that glowed, almost as if it had power of its own. Nearly four feet long, Zorpheus brought the sword out in front of him, holding it like a samurai warrior. Russ snickered in the background, always getting a kick out of his stance with that sword.

"I still say your Schwartz isn't big enough! Get a six or seven foot long sword and you'll be all set!"

"Shut up, Russ! I use what I'm good with," he yelled back, never taking his eyes off of Quadel. "Besides, having a Schwartz that big isn't agile enough!"

"Whatever," Russ sighed, taking in a deep breath, and then coughing. "This place smells like someone farted! I bet it was that guy over there," he shouted, pointing at Quadel, who was now quaking and turning purple with rage.

Quadel fired a blue energy ball at Russ, catching him off guard and sending him flying through a boulder, causing it to shatter into a million pieces.

Seizing the opportunity, Zorpheus lunged at Quadel, slamming his knee into his gut, causing him to double over and fall to the ground. Zorpheus stared at him for a moment. "One shot and he's down? What a pushover." Zorpheus stood over Quadel's hunched form, grinning, until his arm shot up into Zorpheus' face, sending him high into the sky and causing him to drop his sword. Quadel stood up as if nothing had happened, all the redness gone from his face.

Zorpheus stopped in mid-air, still recovering from the surprise attack. His surprise now replaced with anger, he shot back down to his opponent, stopping about an inch above the ground, then setting down gently, as his red eyes burned into Quadel.

"Lucky punch," Zorpheus growled, rubbing his jaw. "I won't be as careless next time."

"Carelessness has nothing to do with it. You suck as a fighter. You should've seen that coming."

"Excuse me?" Zorpheus questioned, as he began a flurry of punches and kicks, all of which were dodged, effortlessly.

"You're too slow. The only pushover here is you. Allow me to demonstrate," he said, as he caught one of Zorpheus' fists, and planted his foot in his chest, knocking the wind out of him. Recovering quickly, Zorpheus swept his foot at Quadel's feet, but he jumped over it and slammed his fist into Zorpheus' head, knocking him back a few paces.

Zorpheus was stunned for a moment, but he overcame it quickly. "Okay, enough screwing with you. Allow me to show you what I'm really made of," he said, as he tensed his whole body. The ground began to rumble and break apart, as the rocks and boulders lifted off the ground and shot into the air, and the dust swirled around Zorpheus. Russ finally reappeared next to another nearby boulder, rubbing his head.

"Kaioken Attack… TIMES TEN," he screamed, has the ground shattered under his feet in a massive shockwave, and his ki faded from blue to red. Quadel's eyes nearly bulged out of his head, but he maintained his composure, doing his best to keep his emotions hidden behind his poker face. Once Zorpheus was ready, he put on one of his most sadistic grins, and lunged at Quadel, smashing his foot into his face, sending his opponent hurtling though a pair of massive boulders and creating a very long and deep trench when he hit the ground.

Disengaging the Kaioken, Zorpheus' power returned to normal and his ki returned to blue. "Ahhh, that always gives me a rush! Whooooo!!!"

"Yeah, but he's not dead yet. He probably has something that can enhance his ki as well. Possibly a transformation or two like Frieza."

Almost as if on cue, Quadel zanzokened in front of Zorpheus, seething with intense anger as the veins in his arms and head began protruding. "Very impressive. But I know something just like it," he said, as he tensed up even more, and his purple ki began burning around him like a raging inferno. Keeping his gaze locked with Zorpheus', he began powering up to a higher level. The earthquake worsened as the ground continued to break apart and shatter, and Quadel's primal scream drowned out almost all other sound.

Russ watched with minor concern, knowing he could still effortlessly defeat him if he transformed into a Super Saiyan. However, Zorpheus was still unable to achieve that transformation, since he lacked a motivating factor. Thinking that this may be a great opportunity, he would try to fake getting his butt kicked, and hope that it was enough to push him over the edge. If it didn't work, he could easily dispatch Quadel with as much as a flick of the wrist. This guy may be big, but that only made him a bigger target. Russ rubbed his hands together and grinned.

"Hey Zorpheus," he shouted over the roar of the earthquake and fiery ki that burned around Quadel.

Zorpheus turned. "What! I'm busy here," he shouted back.

"Let me take a crack at this guy. I'm bored!"

He turned completely around and stared at Russ. "What's your problem?! I can handle this guy, no sweat!"

"Maybe, maybe not. He's still not at his maximum and he's real close to yours! Just let me take care of it, okay?" Russ shouted back.

Zorpheus furrowed his eyebrows and shrugged his shoulders. "Fine, knock yourself out for all I care." He moved over to his sword, picked it up and swung it around, and then sheathed it.

"Oh, thank you so much! You're too kind," Russ said, his voice filled with friendly sarcasm, as he walked toward Quadel, who was still charging his ki. "Are you still powering up? Hurry it along man! We're the younger generation! We're impatient! Let's get this show on the road you slow-poke!"

"You're the impatient one, Russ," Zorpheus sneered from behind, and Russ grinned at his comments.

Quadel ignored him, as he continued to push his power even higher. As Russ stood there sensing his level, he realized that even a Kaioken at level twenty wasn't going to work. He needed to go Super Saiyan, but he also needed to make it believable that he was getting his butt kicked. Just as he was about to transform himself, Quadel finished, his ki radiating around him in an inferno, as his hair fluttered under the force of his ki. Looking into Russ' eyes, Quadel grinned, and began to laugh as he drew himself up to his full height. Zorpheus looked unconcerned, but he knew at that moment he couldn't win against a force like that.

"Impressive. It's now my turn to power up. Don't freak out too much," Russ said, also grinning. He took a few steps back, and let loose a loud howl, as his ki changed from green to gold, his hair from black to gold, and his eyes from black to green. All of his muscles doubled in size as he grew a few inches, and his ki went through the roof as his mind was swept over with violent emotions and images. In a matter of seconds, he stood, fully transformed, with his golden ki pulsating around him in golden flames. Quadel looked only mildly impressed.

"A Super Saiyan. How quaint. Let's see what you can do," said Quadel, as he took up a fighting stance. Russ followed suit and prepared himself for combat, as they stood about ten feet apart from each other.

In a flash, Quadel slammed his foot into Russ' chest, catching him totally by surprise with his speed, and then allowed himself to slam through a boulder before stopping himself. Russ was uninjured, but he made it seem that he was. Breathing hard and moaning as if in pain, Russ charged Quadel again, and began a flurry of punches and kicks, all of which were countered with an identical blow. Russ shot off into the air as Quadel followed closely behind, but then Quadel zanzokened just above Russ and slammed both his fists into his back, causing him to cry out in mock pain, as he careened down to the ground, where his impact made a huge crater. Not giving any time to let him get back up, Quadel charged an energy beam and fired it at Russ, where it impacted and created a huge explosion, kicking up tons of dust and rocks and obscuring everybody's vision.

Russ saw the beam coming with time to spare, so he lowered his ki when the beam impacted, causing some major injuries. He realized he needed to get some real injuries of Zorpheus was to believe what was going on.

As the dust settled, Zorpheus got a good look at Russ, who now was bleeding from several places, and he was kneeling on the ground, coughing up a mouthful of blood. He became nervous, as he knew if Russ couldn't beat him, he couldn't either.

"Hey Russ! What's wrong? You should be able to mop the floor with this guy," he said, his voice full of concern.

*Great, it's working* "I'm having a hell of a time here! I can't breathe very well and I'm out of air! I'm seriously messed up here, man," he shouted over, as he stumbled to his feet. In an instant, he was face down in the dirt again, as Quadel floated behind him with his foot outstretched. A huge smirk creased the features of his face.

Russ groaned and tried to get back up, however at that instant Quadel once again planted a foot in Russ' back and then stood on it, causing him to squirm and cry out in pain. He looked over at Zorpheus and grinned, and once again slammed his foot into Russ' spine.

Zorpheus quickly powered up and raced over to Russ' aid, but Quadel saw it coming, and while standing on Russ' back, he spun around and gave Zorpheus a roundhouse, sending him away and slamming him through another pile of boulders. Undaunted, Zorpheus dragged himself back to his feet, his nose and lips bleeding, as he once again charged at his enemy and starting a punching frenzy. Quadel easily dodged and parried all his blows, as he started laughing.

While continuing to dodge the blows Zorpheus was doing, Quadel took his free hand and aimed it at Russ, and began firing yellow ki blasts into his back, further crippling him and causing him to scream out in pain and agony. Quadel, laughing the whole time, charged up his ki very rapidly and caused a giant explosion, which further injured Russ and blew Zorpheus away like he was a rag doll.

*What the hell is wrong with me! Russ always saves my ass whenever I'm in a bind, but now he's down and out of it! He always saves my rear. But now what? Should I just stand here and die? I can't beat him like this.* Zorpheus landed several dozen feet away and the only sound in his ears was Quadel's laugh and Russ' scream of pain. *That's it. I'll beat him, or I'll die trying! NO MORE will Russ have to save me. I'll save him and myself for once! I'm a Saiyan! I'm a WARRIOR! Not some pansy that makes excuses as to why I can't fight! I can DO this!*

He slowly dragged himself back to his feet, sheer determination and prowess overriding his better judgment, as he powered up the Kaioken attack to level twenty, the highest he could go. His body screamed in protest and wrenched him down with intense pain, but Zorpheus ignored it as he once again charged Quadel, who was continuing to bombard Russ with ki blasts. Moving faster than he ever moved before, Zorpheus slammed his fist into Quadel's jaw, sending him sprawling and causing him to slam into another pile of boulders a couple hundred feet away. Zorpheus stood over Russ' broken and bloody body, as Russ had barely any ki left, and he was no longer a Super Saiyan.

Russ slowly rolled onto his back and looked into Zorpheus' eyes. "I… can't go on," he coughed out, as his mouth spilled over with blood. "Do you feel the power ready to snap inside of you? Use it. Embrace it. Call it… out… and…" he sputtered, as he fell unconscious.

Zorpheus looked at Russ' broken and near lifeless body, as he felt the power within him rise up like a blazing sun inside of him. His rage was unequaled, and he felt his sanity snap, as a new power exploded inside of him. Clenching his fists and growling as he allowed the pain and anguish of Russ' defeat cloud his mind, the sky turned dark and the horizon glowed, as the ground under his feet gave way to an incredible force. Quadel blurred into sight about twenty feet away, and Zorpheus locked his gaze on him, as his hair stood on end and flashed gold for a moment. Yellow lightning streaked through the sky and slammed into the ground just behind him, as he began to embrace the full, raging power inside of him. The ground continued to rumble and break apart, as his hair flashed gold once more.

Quadel began laughing. "Oh, look. Another Super Saiyan who can't finish his transformation. What a pushover."

After a long minute, Zorpheus felt the power surge through every cell in his body, and he released a primal howl, as his transformation became complete, his hair and ki gold, and his eyes green. Extremely violent emotions flooded his mind, as his ki pulsed around him, and he finally embraced his awesome new power.

Russ, who had faked that he nearly died, grinned slightly, as he relaxed in his crater. Zorpheus slowly walked over toward Quadel, who was still grinning. About a foot away from his face, Zorpheus stopped and looked into Quadel's eyes, hate and rage burning in them, as he slammed his fist into Quadel's chest, causing him to throw up a mouthful of blood, and making him to collapse to the ground.

"You're dead," Zorpheus said, his voice nothing but cold ice. He reached down to Quadel, who was gagging and coughing, and picked him up by the throat, and began to squeeze slowly, a mixture of torture, pain, and a slow, agonizing death being his intention. Quadel struggled and grabbed Zorpheus' arm, but it was like grabbing onto a piece of hardened steel that was cold and unforgiving. Zorpheus slowly continued to squeeze, as Quadel began choking, but that didn't faze him in the least, as he squeezed even more. He felt the organs in Quadel's neck begin to buckle and get crushed under his hand, but he didn't stop. A moment later, Quadel's neck snapped, killing him instantly, but that wasn't good enough. Zorpheus continued to squeeze, as Quadel's neck became smaller and smaller, and finally what was left of his neck turned into a red, organic matter when all of his organs and bones in his neck were crushed into paste. His head fell off his shoulders, his body crumpled to the ground, and what was left of his neck oozed out of Zorpheus' fingers.

Russ picked himself up off the ground and dusted himself off a little, examining the many cuts and abrasions he had over his body, and his green gi was torn to shreds. Walking over to Zorpheus, who continued to stare into nothingness, he stopped himself, and hoped Zorpheus wouldn't go totally insane and try to tear him apart too, but his worry was unneeded, as Zorpheus let out a huge sigh, and allowed himself to return to normal. He turned and facefaulted when he saw Russ standing about five feet away, smiling and giving him the thumbs up.

Zorpheus clenched his fists. "You're just FINE?"

"Yup," he nodded. I figured it was about time for you to get that motivating factor to turn you into a Super Saiyan."

"I… see," he said, looking at the ground in front of him. "I thought you were really dead."

Russ chuckled. "I deserve an award for that performance," he said, now laughing. "I'm glad it worked."

Now smiling, Zorpheus patted Russ on the back. "Thanks man. You're the greatest. But you're still an asshole for making me worry like that."

Russ exploded laughing and slapped Zorpheus on the back. "You did it, not me. But anyway, congratulations! Now, the only thing left is for you to control it. What you did to Quadel," he said, looking at the mess, "was really nasty."

"Yeah, I guess you're right," he said, now getting a real good look at what he did. "Well, what do you say we go back to that titty bar and go pick up those girls?"

It was now Russ' turn to facefault, but he recovered quickly and grinned. "Okay, but I'm not looking or touching. You can do whatever you want."

"YES! Uh, I mean, okay, let's go," he said, smiling from ear to ear. Russ just shook his head as they lifted off the ground and flew to their spacepods, a green and blue vapor trail following them both.

Aeka continued concentrating, but unknown to her, she now hovered about six inches off the ground. Russ continued to look on, a wide grin on his lips, as he walked over and stopped just in front of her.

"Okay, now, continue concentrating, and don't open your eyes just yet."

"Mmmm hmmm," she moaned out, just barely audible.

"Don't open your eyes, but you're actually about six inches off the ground right now. Keep concentrating."

Her facial expression changed slightly, but she did as she was told, and she continued to hover just above the ground. "Excellent. Now, slowly open your eyes and look directly at me. Do not look down, because you're most likely to break your concentration when you do."

Slowly, she opened her amethyst eyes, and focused them on Russ, as she was now about the same height as he was. Russ nodded and smiled, and gave her the thumbs up.

"Awesome. You're doing great! Now, slowly let yourself back down." Aeka descended slowly to the ground, where she landed softly. She opened her eyes widely as she clasped her hands in front of her. "I don't believe it," Russ said, letting his arms dangle at his sides. "I figured it would take you a couple days, and here you learn it in less than five…"

"Oh Russ," she cried, throwing her arms around him and hugging him. "Thank you so much! That's something I've always wanted to learn but could never figure out! Thank you, thank you, thank you," she said. A moment later she realized she was hugging him, and she quickly released him as they both blushed a deep scarlet.

"You're very welcome," he said, scratching the back of his head. "I'm glad you learned it so quickly. But now, you need to learn to control it a little more, and learn how to move while in the air. Levitating is nice, but not going anywhere when you do is not." Russ walked over to the cliff and lifted himself into the air, then hovered over the edge. "Come on out here. I'll catch you if something goes wrong."

Aeka hesitated, but she closed her eyes and concentrated, and lifted herself off the ground, almost effortlessly. Reopening her eyes, she pushed herself forward, slowly, as she stopped in front of Russ, also hovering over the edge of the bluff.

"Excellent. Now, just stay here a moment," Russ said, as he floated back over to the tree and picked up both glasses of lemonade, his stereo, and his stack of CDs. He shoved most of the CD's into his pockets. "Now, follow me. We'll go to my spacepod, but first, we'll make a pass by the house. Is that okay?"

She nodded, and Russ began to slowly move away, and Aeka followed. Incredibly, she kept up with him, almost as if she wasn't trying. He increased his speed a little more and leveled himself off for straight flight, and Aeka did the same. Russ continued to watch her carefully, as her clothes ruffled in the breeze and her hair flapped lightly, as she smiled and giggled at her achievement. A few moments later, they were at the house and Russ lowered himself to the ground in front of the sliding glass door, and could now see everybody still sitting in the living room. Aeka landed lightly beside him and continued to smile, as everybody inside stared at both of them in disbelief.

Sasami ran out the door and grabbed her sister in a big hug, giggling the whole time and watching her with awe. "Aeka!!! You FLEW! How did you do it?"

She smiled. "Russ told me how. It's actually pretty easy. It's a wonderful feeling and sensation to be able to fly like that. It's no wonder Ryoko does it so often."

Sasami looked at Russ, who contented himself with a shy grin. "Can you teach me to fly?"

"That's up to your sister, if she'll let you do what is necessary to learn how to fly. I may be able to teach you the technique, but I don't sense enough ki from you to be able to achieve that feat." Russ looked up at Aeka, and smiled. "What do you think?"

"I don't know. She's still very young, and I don't want her getting hurt."

"I understand that. But there won't be any sparring or anything like that involved in her training. Just some exercise to raise her ki level. The stronger she is, the more ki she'll gain and control."

Sasami looked disappointed. "Please? Come on, Aeka! Let him train me to fly!"

"I'm afraid not, Sasami."

"Fine, then it's instant ramen for you tonight," she said, looking at the ground.

"Sasami! That's not fair. I'm only looking out for your well being."

"That's nice and all, but I want to learn how to fly, and the reasons you gave me don't seem very good. I want to learn! If I don't like it, I'll stop."

Aeka looked into her little sisters pink eyes and sighed in defeat. "Okay, have it your way."

"YAY!" She ran over and gave Russ a hug around his waist. "Did you hear that? You can train me to fly!"

"I heard," he said, scratching the back of his head and withering under Aeka's glare. He then mustered a smile. "Well, why don't we go inside now? I'm frying out here."

Sasami spied the large stereo Russ was carrying. "What's that for?"

"It's just my stereo that I listen to. I won't play it loudly in the house or anything. I'm going to haul this up to my room and I'll be back in a few moments."

"Wait, what kind of music do you have there?"

"I have a lot of stuff. These CD's have hundreds of songs on them. Got to love advances in technology," he said, grinning.

"Do you think I could listen to some of them later?"

"Sure, I don't have a problem with that. You'll need this stereo to read the discs though. They're in something called MP3 format, but the players only recently started coming out, and they can't be read in normal stereo systems."

Aeka continued to look back and forth between Sasami and Russ, keeping quiet the whole time, until Russ began walking toward the door, in which she followed behind him, and Sasami trailed her. Russ lifted off the floor and floated up to the upstairs hallway, nodding an acknowledgement to the chorus of hello's that came from everybody who was seated. Aeka came inside and sat down on the couch, where Nobuyuki was sitting, which had a vacant seat next to it for Russ when he came back down.

"So, the princess can fly now, can she?" Ryoko said, grinning from her seat, which was now almost on top of Tenchi. He grinned, but he was also blushing lightly.

"Yes. Russ showed me how. It's a neat sensation."

"Yes it is. That's why I fly practically everywhere I go."

Russ floated down from the landing and disappeared into the kitchen, where he filled both glasses with water and set them down in the sink, and then floated back into the living room where he touched down on the floor behind the couch, letting his hands rest on the back, behind Aeka.

"Oh, before I forget. That was great lemonade, Sasami. Very delicious," Russ said, patting the little princess on her head as she smiled and giggled.

"You're welcome."

Washu stood up from her seat and walked over to her lab door. "Russ, I finished your gravity enhancer. Come on over here and try it out."

"Wow, already? That was sure fast."

"It was nothing for the greatest scientific genius in the universe," she said, re-inflating her ego.

"Excuse me, everyone. I'll be back in a little bit." He stopped when he saw the look of horror on Aeka. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh, no… nothing at all. You go on ahead," she said, her face betraying her voice.

Russ continued to watch her, and then stepped closer. "I think you're fibbing. What's bothering you? Come out and say it. It's best to be open and honest with your feelings."

Aeka stared at him in shock and shook her head. "I said it's nothing. Just go on."

"We'll talk about it later then," he said, making his way over to the lab door where Washu was waiting, an evil gleam in her eye. Everybody else stared at Aeka, who was now shifting uncomfortably from her seat in the couch.

Russ followed Washu into the closet and shut the door behind him, and a moment later, they both emerged in her lab.

"That's pretty cool how you created your lab in a different dimension. I know a few people who do the same thing."

Washu turned, stunned. "How did you know this was a different dimension?"  
"I'm not an ignorant barbarian, as you may think from what I was doing earlier. I'm actually fairly intelligent. One of my favorite subjects was science. I never could stand chemistry though," he said, laughing. "But Zorpheus was the one who was more interested in science than I was. I was more into music."

"That's very interesting," she said, walking over the platform as another door appeared out of subspace. "Follow me. Your gravity enhancer is in here," she said, opening up the second door.

"Okay."

Passing through the second door, they wound up in another area surrounded in computer units and other various contraptions. Russ immediately remembered this room as the one he ended up in after the first time he entered Washu's lab and was restrained. She walked over to a console and lifted up a small device that had a band attached to both ends. She held it up and brought it over.

"This is it. You simply attach it to your arm or wherever, and tell it how much gravity you want. You say something like, 'I want fifty times Earth's normal gravity,' and it'll activate itself, thus giving you the added gravity."

Russ took the device in his hand, and wrapped it around his arm. "Thank you, Little Washu. This'll be a big help. Let's see if it works," he said, and took a step back. "I want fifty times Earth's normal gravity."

The little machine beeped while Russ gradually began to feel heavier, as the gravity around him increased. Within ten seconds, he was at his requested level. Stretching out a bit and becoming accustomed to the gravity, he looked back at Washu and smiled.

"This is great. How high can it go?"

"Up to two thousand times normal Earth gravity."

"Excellent. I really appreciate this. Is there anything I can do to repay you?"

She turned thoughtful for a moment. "Would you allow me to examine you? I'd love to get some data on your physiology."

Russ' brow beaded with sweat for a moment, and he then sighed. "Okay. What do you want me to do?"

She snickered lightly as that evil gleam in her eye returned. "Just take your clothes off except for your underwear. I'm going to use that mechanical globe again to perform most of the scans."

Groaning, Russ removed both his shirts, exposing his extremely muscular form, and he then removed his boots and his pants, folding his clothes neatly in a pile on the floor. He returned the gravity machine to normal and removed it, and then he stood up straight and looked at Washu, who's eyes were super wide and her face was as red as the crab that hung over her lab door.

"Uh, Little Washu?"

She snapped out of her trance and continued to blush lightly. "Oh, sorry about that," she said as she hit a button on one of her consoles. A moment later the globe appeared behind Russ and lifted him off the floor with its arms, and a headpiece filled with wires and blinking lights plunked itself over Russ' head. Washu's phantom computer materialized in front of her as she typed in some commands, watching the screens flash dozens of graphs and statistics.

"So, what do I do now?"

"Just relax a few minutes. This won't take too long," she said, as she moved to another computer that was hooked up to the globe. "Let's see… organic pattern, astro pattern, psycho-layer pattern, overdimension, parallel pattern, hentai pattern… " The graph was flat. "Ahem… hentai pattern…" The graph still was flat. "Rats. I get the same readings with you as I do with Tenchi."

Russ turned blue for a moment as she cackled evilly from her position behind the computer. The screen cast an eerie glow onto her features, making her appear even more devilish. She walked over to Russ and smiled.

"Would you mind if I took a sperm sample?"

If Russ were in a position to facefault, he would have. "YES, I'D MIND," he growled. "The most I'm going to let you get away with is a blood sample."

Washu's disappointment became apparent as she once again produced a syringe and an alcohol pad from her pocket. She rubbed down Russ' arm as he tensed himself, waiting for that painful prick from the needle. He closed his eyes and waited… and waited… and waited…

"All done."

Russ' eyes shot open as Washu held up a vile of blood. Breathing again, he allowed himself to relax as he heaved a huge sigh of relief, and the lights on the headpiece began blinking again.

"You're right, that didn't hurt at all. All the other needles I've ever gotten stung like crazy."

Washu chuckled. "I've got magic fingers," she said, as she gave Russ a hug. "Thank you for the scans. That will provide me with some very valuable data."

"You're welcome. If you're interested in another piece of technology that I'd like to have constructed, I may… now I only MAY, I won't say that I will… give you that sperm sample."

Washu fell to the floor from total shock. "Wow, really?! I get to put together a new invention and get a sperm sample as PAYMENT?! How can I say no?" She was so overjoyed with happiness that she nearly tripped over her computer. She recovered quickly as her eyes sparkled. "You're the best, Russ. It's too bad Aeka as already claimed you to be hers or you'd be mine in a heartbeat."

Russ blushed. "Thank you, Little Washu. I've never been sought after by anybody before. It's… a different feeling than I've ever had before. As I told Aeka earlier, I've been alone for most of my life, except for the times I spent with Zorpheus, fighting evil wherever it reared its ugly head. But truthfully, I've really never been truly lonely. I've always had my training to keep my mind occupied."

Washu sighed. "The same goes for me, except I had science instead of training. I've been alone for over twenty thousand years," she said, quietly, as Russ nearly said something he shouldn't have, about her age, from surprise. "I had a husband and a child once, but they were taken away from me. I've never seen them since that dreadful day," she said, trying to hide her sorrow.

"Do you remember their names?"

She shook her head. "I've only got fuzzy memories of them now. I wish I could remember them more clearly."

Russ squirmed against the restraints. Washu noticed, and released him, as he landed lightly on his feet. "Nobody knows about this yet, but I can read minds and memories from others. I can pick out specific events, or entire memories. Faces, loved ones, memories you thought you never had or had forgotten about. However, if you have twenty thousand years of memories… That's a lot of data for me to sort through, and a lot of faces. But, if you think about your child and husband, and remember them as best as you can, I think I can find exactly what you're looking for. All you have to do is ask, and I'll try my best, to make your wish come true," he said, as he began to get dressed.

Washu looked at him, a tear rolling from her green eyes as she sniffled softly. "No," she said, shaking her head. "What's past is past."

Russ noticed her downcast face and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "If you ever change your mind, don't ever hesitate to ask me. I'll be there for you, as a friend, or as your lab rat too," he said, chuckling and smiling. Washu looked up and also smiled, sniffling away her sorrows. "If you ask, I'll even try to help you find them once again, so you can see your child, and see how he or she has been growing up."

"Thank you, Russ. That's the nicest offer I've had in a long, long time," she said, smiling, and drying her eyes on her sleeve. She turned and gave him another hug, and Russ returned it warmly. "That feels so good. Thank you."

"Anytime."

"Well, anyway, what is this other invention you want me to put together?"

"It's a regeneration capsule, or a healing pod. It's kind of like a large contraption, where you put someone inside of it, and it fills up with synthetic DNA of whatever subject you're putting into it, and it can heal physical wounds very quickly."

"Really? It's a medical chamber?"

"Yeah, of sorts. It's a precaution for me, and for anybody else here who needs healing quickly, or for taking care of major emergencies," Russ explained. "When I battle with Zorpheus… we're both going to be really messed up when we're done. Honestly, it's probably going to be me. He's a slightly better fighter than I am, and I'm just a bit stronger and faster than he is. We both basically cancel each other out, but I'm pessimistic, so that's why I say that."

"If you say so. Just bring me the plans and I'll put it together for you, okay?"

"Sure. I need to head over to my spacepod anyway to figure out how far away Jurai is from here."

"What for?"

"I need to figure out how long it would take to get from here to there, in Earth Standard time."

Washu shook her head. "I can tell you that right here," she said, once again bringing up her phantom computer. She quickly hit a few keys and a map from Jurai to Earth appeared on the screen.

"WOW, Jurai is really far off. How long would it take for a ship to get from here to there? Uh… one of your ships, I mean. Maybe Kiyone and Mihoshi's shuttle, or a space taxi or something?"

"It would probably take a week to ten days to get from here to there. Ryo-Ohki would take about a week."

Russ scratched his head. "Well, I suppose I could call one of my good buddies to come and give us a lift. His ship could make it from here to there in half a day."

"Huh? That's impossible. No ship is that fast."

Russ chuckled. "My buddy's is. It's big too. I'll go give him a call and see if he can spare a couple days to give us a ride to and from Jurai."

"What else has been invented that I don't know about," she pouted. "I guess seven hundred years imprisonment as made technology advance on me quite a bit."

"Well anyway, I guess I better let you get back to your experiments. I'm sure Aeka is about to explode from anxiety from waiting."

"You aren't kidding. Thanks for your help. All your help," she said, smiling.

"Like I said, anytime."

Russ turned and started to leave the lab, then turned around. "Would you like to go to the Startica festival with us, if we do go? Everybody deserves a vacation sometime," he said, his eyes pleading.

"Yes, I'd love to. I haven't been to Jurai in a long time."

"Great. If all goes well, we'll be leaving in a week and five days. I hope that's plenty of time to plan for your vacation."

"Plenty. Thanks for the offer."

Russ turned and left the lab, as Washu returned to the part of her lab where she was on top of her platform, surrounded by many trees and other plant life, where she began to analyze the scans she took of him, smiling the whole while. She hasn't felt this good and giddy in a long time.

Aeka was wringing her hands and was about to lose all her patience when the lab door reopened and Russ stepped out. He smiled at Aeka, who jumped up from her seat and briskly walked over.

"Are you okay? There doesn't seem to be anything wrong with you," she said, examining him.

"No, no, I'm just fine. Would you like to go to my spacepod now? I need to give one of my friends a call and see if he can give us a lift to Jurai. His spaceship is incredibly fast, and can get us to Jurai in about a half a day, or around twelve hours."

"Really? That's it?"

"That's all," Russ said, grinning. "Do you think everybody could go in that case?"

"I don't see why not."

"Hey, what are you two talking about? Go where?" Ryoko asked from the couch. Tenchi had just about passed out from all the torment and flirting Ryoko was doing to him.

"Would everybody like to go to the Startica festival on Jurai? That begins in about two weeks."

Sasami jumped up from her seat on the couch. "Really!? I'd love to go! We can visit Azaka and Kamadake again, and I can see all my old friends and stuff!"

Russ' expression shifted to confusion. "I thought Azaka and Kamadake were those two logs you guys have?"

"They are, but there are human ones too. They're currently on Jurai, serving the emperor."

"Oh." Russ turned and made his way over to the door. "Well, I got to go contact my friend to see if he can spare a few days to give us a lift. His ship is huge, so there will be plenty of room for everybody. Should I go talk to him or forget about the whole idea?"

Everybody looked at each other and nodded.

"Sure."

"Why not?"

"Okay, I'm game."  
"We could use a vacation."

"Okay then, it's settled. You want to come along Aeka and fly around a little more?"

She nodded and followed him outside. Sasami also ran out the door and latched onto Russ' waist.

"Can I go too?"

"Sure," he said as he knelt down. "Grab on. We're not going far."

Russ and Aeka both lifted off the ground, with Sasami hanging on Russ' neck, giggling away. Ryo-Ohki ran out the door and started meowing at the top of her voice, as she leapt into the air and transformed herself into a spaceship.

"Holy sh… uh, holy smokes," he corrected himself. "That's pretty cool. She'd actually be able to fit into my buddy's ship's docking bay. This is great," he said, as he leveled out his flight and soared over the treetops, making his way to his spacepod, with Aeka following closely behind, smiling and just enjoying the feeling of freedom. "We can have her take us up to my friend's ship when he arrives."

Sasami giggled as she hung on tightly, looking down at the trees and back at Aeka, who also smiled and chuckled lightly. Ryo-Ohki flew just behind them, her massive bulk shading them from the sun. It was a short flight, as Russ had landed his spacepod nearby. He descended to a small clearing, which had a small, white ball near the middle of it. Ryo-Ohki transformed back into a cabbit and landed on the ground at the same time Russ and Aeka did. Sasami let go of Russ and landed on the ground before he had a chance to kneel and let her off.

Sasami saw the gleaming white metal of the pod and ran over. "Wow! So this is your spaceship?"

"Yup. That's what I travel around in."

"That thing is pretty small," Aeka said, walking up beside Sasami and Russ. Opening up a control panel, he keyed in a few commands, and with a loud hiss, the door swung open, revealing a mass of controls and a pilot's seat.

"Well, in reality, I don't need anything bigger. I always travel alone. Zorpheus and I had our own spaceships so we took those separately. We didn't have anything bigger at the time so we had to use these things," he explained, while sitting himself down inside the pod. He keyed a few commands.

"Hailing," his computer responded in its nasal, feminine voice. "Please wait." Russ lightly drummed the seat's armrest as he hoped he'd catch the captain while he was awake and on the bridge. "Picking up an acknowledgement… channel open."

"Hello, Dominoes Pizza. Can I take your order?" came a gruff voice from the comm. system.

"Yeah! I'll have a large thick crust with double cheese, ham, pepperoni, onions, and bacon," Russ said, trying to keep from cracking up. Sasami and Aeka looked at each other in complete confusion.

"Okay, your total comes to… ugh… this calculator sucks," said the voice, as he began laughing like crazy. "RUSS! How have you been doing, buddy! Long time no see!"

"TOM! Whazzzaaaap?" Russ roared over the comm. system, laughing the whole time.

"Ugh, don't you ever get tired of doing that?" he said, still chuckling. "What's up? How are things?"

"Well, they're pretty good, all things considered. How are things on your end?"

"Boring as hell. Save me, man. Give me something to do, dude," Tom said, almost begging.

Russ facefaulted and smiled. "Hey, do you think you can make a trip to planet Earth and give me and some friends a ride to and from Jurai? The Startica festival will be starting over there and we'd like to go, but we don't want to spend a week traveling to get there. I thought of you because of your ultra cool ship and I also wanted to show it off to everybody," he said, snickering.

"Give me a break. It's my ship and you show it off. Bleah. Well, when does the Startica festival start, exactly?"

"About two weeks from today. I'd like you to get here a couple days early so we can get there with plenty of time to spare, and do a little sight seeing."

"Hmmm, yeah. I can do that. I'll be there at noon, three days before Startica begins. That way we can spend a day traveling there, two days sight-seeing and do some catching up, and then the festival will begin. Sound good?"

"Make it two days before. The people I'm with don't have a huge amount of time to spare."

"Well, okay. Suit yourself. Do you need me to send down a shuttle or a transport?"

"No, we've actually got one here. She's really cute."

Silence came over the comm. system. "Did you say, 'She's really cute?'"

Russ laughed. "Yeah. Don't worry, because you'll see her when you pick us up. When you do arrive, keep your ship cloaked. The Earthlings here still aren't a spacefaring race."

"Okay, no problem. I'll just decloak and jam their radars or whatever until you get onboard, and then we'll go. Is that okay?"

"Perfect. And by the way…"

"Yes?"

"Don't flirt with any of the girls that I'm bringing with me, okay? They'll rip you a new one if you do," Russ said, a hint of sarcasm in his voice, but sounding completely serious.

"Aw, come on man! Don't you think you're asking too much?"

"I'm serious. I won't be the one to save your rear when one of them shoves a ki sword up your butt."

"Uh, okay. Hey, I'll see you then! Good to hear from you, and it'll be great to see you again!"

"Okay! Talk at you in a week and five days! Catch you later!"

"See ya," Tom said, and then static crackled through the comm.

"Alrighty! That went well. We got ourselves a ride to Jurai," Russ said, a huge smile on his face. Aeka and Sasami continued to stare at him as if he sprouted a third arm. "Uh, is something wrong?"

"What was that language you were speaking?"

"Japanese, of course," he said, scratching his chin. "Oh, I get it. We're old buddies and we have our own… unique way of communicating with each other. It's all well and fun."

"I see," said Aeka, as she blushed slightly.

"Well, shall we be heading back?"

"Yeah. Sasami, have you started lunch yet?"

Sasami looked at her sister in horror. "Oh no! I forgot all about it! I guess I could fix up some cold cuts or something," she said, looking distressed.

"Ahem. I can help you if you want, Sasami."

"Oh, could you? That would be a great help!"

"Sure. Let's go, before everybody wonders if we ran away or something."

Ryo-Ohki bounded on top of Sasami's head and meowed an objection.

"I'm sorry, I didn't actually mean that. Oh, never mind. Let's go. Climb on, Sasami," Russ said, as he knelt down and allowed the little princess to grab onto his neck. He hefted her onto his back, and before lifting off, he sealed his pod again, taking care to make sure it was locked up tight, and then he lifted off into the air, with Aeka right beside him.

"You're really getting the hang of this, Aeka!" Sasami said through her giggles. She just smiled and continued to fly along with Russ. Ryo-Ohki had jumped off of Sasami's head and landed on Russ' mass of hair, as she meowed her contentment.

"That's a bad place, Ryo-Ohki. Remember, I'm allergic to you and I don't want to start sneezing too badly."

She meowed a couple times in disappointment, and then sat down on Russ' back, snuggling against Sasami's head, causing her to giggle even more from being tickled by Ryo-Ohki's whiskers.

A short minute passed, and they landed at the Misaki home, just as Nobuyuki pulled up in the van. Russ knelt down and let Sasami off, and stood back up, watching Nobuyuki shut off the van and hop out.

"Where'd he go?"

"I have no idea. He said he was going shopping for something," Aeka responded.

"I wonder if he bought anything?" Russ said, as he made his way over to the van.

"Ahhh, perfect timing. I could use a pair of strong hands here," Nobuyuki said, as he opened up the rear of the van. Russ, Sasami, and Aeka all gasped at the sight of the new addition to the household.

"Oh wow, that's awesome," Russ said. "I can't wait to play it."


	8. True Friends

Ep 8 – True Friends

I'm Russell Piper, and what you're about to read is my first real attempt at a fanfiction. It's based around Tenchi Universe (Tenchi TV) and the OVA so most of the main characters you've seen from there will appear here as well. It also crosses a bit with Dragonball Z with the existence of Dragonballs and immensely powerful warriors. Ryoko and Tenchi had finally chosen to be together, and Aeka is still living at the house for now. You'll see when it happens. Anyway, I'll stop flapping my yap and let you get right to the story. Enjoy! Send all hate mail / fan mail to .

*Note: the song titles that I use here are typical MP3 filenames that you can find on Napster or FTP servers. If you want to hear what Russ is playing on his stereo or on the organ, you can look these things up and download them, so you can play them back and listen to it for yourselves. Russ only will compose music out of Tenchi Muyo (all series), so the characters will now be aware of the music. Kind of neat, eh?

"Where on earth are we going to put something like that?" Aeka asked, as she checked out the new addition to the household. She touched the gleaming white keys and the many buttons all over the console, admiring the craftsmanship of the organ.

"Well, I figured we'd put it in the living room, kiddy-cornered by the glass door, by the stairs. There's an outlet over there, and it's really a good spot for it," he answered. "I just need someone to help me carry it in."

"I'll be glad to help," Russ said, reaching into the van, lifting an end of the organ as if it were a piece of foil, and pulling it part way out. "Anyway, who's the musician here?"

"Well, it's something I've always wanted to get into, and I thought of possibly getting Tenchi involved in playing music as well. I got a great deal on this thing, which is why I bought it. I've been saving up for one for a long time."

"How much did you pay for it?" Aeka said, still staring at the instrument.

Nobuyuki laughed nervously. "I paid five hundred eighty five thousand yen for this thing," he said, eliciting a facefault from everybody within earshot, except for Russ. "I got it seventy five percent off the normal price because it's an older model, and it was returned for some reason. Aside from the scuff marks, its in perfect shape!"

Aeka furrowed her eyebrows together and started hard at Nobuyuki. "You paid that much money… for THIS?" she said, her arms trembling. "We always thought you were broke! How dare you keep this kind of secret from us!"

Glancing over at her, Russ got a little angry. "Hey, it's his money, and he can do as he pleases with it. He said he was saving for this for a long time, and he finally got a great deal on one," he said, causing Aeka to soften up slightly. "It's none of our business what he does with his money. He earned it, and he can spend it as he pleases." Russ turned completely toward Aeka, still holding the end of the organ. "He does pay for all the expenses here, so we've got no room to talk, okay?"

Aeka and Sasami looked taken aback, and then she hung her head. "I'm sorry, Nobuyuki. I didn't mean anything. I'm just surprised you spent that much money on this."

Nobuyuki looked back and forth between Russ' glare and Aeka's shame. Slowly walking to Aeka, he put his arm around her shoulder. "Don't worry about it. I can see why you're concerned, but I've had this money set aside for a long time, and we don't have any financial difficulties, and I don't see any in the future." He squeezed her shoulder and looked into her downcast face. "Please don't fret over it. And besides, it cost way less than I had anticipated, so I still have a lot of money left over."

Noticing her melancholy appearance, Russ started feeling bad as well. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt your feelings, but it drives me crazy when other people tell others what to do with their money or how to spend it." Russ lifted the entire organ off the van's floor and held it awkwardly from the backside, trying to balance it somewhere in the middle of his hand while supporting the top part of it with his other hand. Several cracking noises came from the wood, but it held together just fine. "Well, let's get this thing inside. Oh, Sasami?"

"Yes?" She looked up from admiring all the buttons and the keys on the console.

"Could you get the bench and help us carry that in?"

"Sure thing, and then I'll start on lunch," she said, smiling.

"Great. Thank you. Nobuyuki?"

"I've got the foot pedals. Just carry that inside and set it down where I told you," he said, releasing Aeka, who was now in a slightly better mood, as she watched Russ play a balancing act with the oversized organ. She giggled softly, as he nearly lost his balance with the thing, and then moved over to him and helped steady it.

"Thanks, but I've got it," Russ said quietly, as he continued to walk toward the living room.

"Don't worry about it. I don't mind at all," she said, as Sasami, Ryo-Ohki, and Nobuyuki followed, carrying the foot pedals and the bench.

The living room was deserted, except for Ryoko, who was attempting to fall asleep in her usual place on the beam, despite the scorching heat up near the ceiling. Tenchi had left to go work at the field and gather more carrots, and Washu remained in her lab. Kiyone and Mihoshi had gone into the onsen to soak and talk about moving out, and once again live on their own.

Aeka slid open the door, and Russ carefully maneuvered himself through it, trying to fit him and the organ through, and trying to keep from banging the thing into the door. Ryoko sat up and looked down, puzzled at what was coming inside. She silently slid off the beam and onto the floor, and watched Russ and Aeka carry the organ over to the designated corner, and set it down. Nobuyuki and Sasami came inside, and set down their items. Russ lifted up the foot pedals and connected them to the organ, then placed the bench in its place in front. Sasami smiled and bowed, and hurried off into the kitchen. Russ reached behind the organ, grabbing the cord, and plugged it in.

The organ itself was very large. Having nearly eighty pushbuttons, two keyboards, the foot pedals, and even piano foot pedals, it was one of the most awesome organs Russ had ever seen. Everybody looked it over up and down, admiring the gleaming white keys and the glossy black keys, the LCD screen in the middle of the console, and the cherry oak rack that held the sheet music. Off to the left side, there was another console, labeled 'MIDI Computer,' and that had a floppy drive mounted right inside the cabinet. There were dozens of sections for the pushbuttons. Rhythms, instruments, drum sets, and many other features that told Russ that Nobuyuki should've spent well over two million yen for this thing. He wiped off his brow and did his best to contain his excitement, since music was one of the things that brought him joy, aside from fighting. Having played the organ in the past, and was really good at it, this was a perfect opportunity to show off another trait that was unusual for a Saiyan to have. Drawing on his knowledge of personal computers and his knowledge for music, he knew that this organ was the next best thing to a one man band, complete with drums, guitars, and many, many other instruments to choose from. This was a good opportunity for him to compose a few pieces that were swimming around in his mind.

Russ turned toward Nobuyuki. "Think you can play something for us? Give this thing a test drive?"

Nobuyuki smiled and scratched the back of his head, but he sat down, cracking his knuckles, and then turned the organ on. Dozens of little red lights flashed to life on the console, and the LCD screen displayed which instrument was selected for each keyboard, including the foot pedals. It was currently selected for Piano for both keyboards, and nothing for the foot pedals, except for the ones that were designated piano playing. "Is there anything in particular you'd like to hear?"

"I don't know, just play something you're comfortable with," Russ said, as he took a seat on the couch. Ryoko, Aeka, and Ryo-Ohki all joined him.

Nobuyuki began to play 'Michael, Row the Boat Ashore,' and doing a really poor job of it. Everybody within earshot heard the noise, and all started to perspire, but Nobuyuki was even more stressed out, as they could see his shirt becoming damp. A few minutes later, he finished, and everybody applauded politely, even though the music he played was a disaster.

"I'm a little out of practice," Nobuyuki said, laughing nervously. "Can any of you play?"

Russ stood up and made his way over to the organ, as Nobuyuki slid off the bench. "I'm okay at it. What would you like to hear? Any requests?"

"No, nothing in particular. Play whatever you feel like."

"You sure? Aeka? Anything you'd like to hear?"

She shook her head and smiled. "Play anything you want."

Russ thought a moment, and began to press the keys rapidly, playing Beethoven's Fifth Symphony. Everybody in earshot stopped and froze in surprise, and then made their way over beside Russ, as they watched his hands fly over the top keyboard, transfixed at the music he was creating.

Sasami came out of the kitchen and stared with her mouth agape, which quickly became a smile as she moved over next to Russ, watching him play.

Aeka's eyes widened as her hand went over her mouth when she gasped, and she slowly stood up from her seat and stood next to Sasami in awe, as she watched Russ' hands skillfully and swiftly fly over the keys, producing an amazingly beautiful song.

Even Ryoko watched, amazed that a clunky instrument could produce such amazing sound. She watched as Russ moved with the music, his upper body swinging from side to side, and his gaze was a mask of concentration, as his hands struck the keys, gently but swiftly.

A few minutes later, he finished, taking a deep sigh, as a big round of applause erupted behind him, causing him to jump slightly and blush. He stood up and bowed, a huge smile creasing his face and giving him small dimples.

Nobuyuki came up to him and slapped him on the back. "Well, at least someone can take advantage of this thing. I'm glad it was money well spent."

"I thought you said you were decent, Russ. I think you're better than you're leading on," Aeka had said, smiling up at him.

"Nice thing about this organ is it can play all the instruments to a song. I can create songs on here that have a full orchestra behind it, if I wanted to. However, it requires me to replay the song a lot of times, once for each instrument. I can do more than one at once, but it's difficult. The fewer instruments, the easier it is, but the more plain it sounds. I'll be happy to demonstrate," he said, as he looked over the organ. "Say, you didn't happen to get any floppy disks, did you? You can actually save the music you play onto one and play it back later."

Nobuyuki reached into his pocket and produced a box of ten disks, and handed them over to Russ.

"Ahhh, excellent." Russ looked around the room. "You wouldn't happen to have a pair of headphones too, would you? It sounds really weird when I start a song, but once I finish it, I'll play it back for you." Russ took a seat on the bench again.

"Sure," Nobuyuki said, walking over to the TV stand and producing a pair of earmuff style headphones from one of the enclosures. "Are these good enough?"

"Oh yeah. Those are perfect," he said, accepting the headphones and plugging them in. He touched a few of the keys, confirming that the sound only played from the headphones. "Well, I'll do a quick song, and then I'll play it back once I'm finished. Sound good?"

"Okay, just let us know when you're done!"

"It'll be a few hours, so if you have something important to do, go ahead and do it."

Sasami returned to the kitchen with Ryo-Ohki perched on top of her head, as Ryoko and Aeka returned to their seats on the couch, flipping on the TV and turning it to a soap opera. Russ cringed when he saw what they put on, and quickly turned away and put on the headphones to drown out the sappy rubbish they were watching. Nobuyuki made his way up the stairs to his room, where he was planning on watching a little TV, deciding to relax for his one, solitary day off.

Turning his attention back to the organ, Russ cleared out all the memory banks on the midi computer, deciding if there was anything there it wasn't worth listening to. Selecting his first instrument and rhythm, he hit the record button on the computer, and began to play.

Aeka and Ryoko both turned toward Russ, hearing the soft clunking of the keys, as he pressed them in time with the rhythm he had selected. Grabbing the remote, Ryoko turned up the volume to the TV a little more, while they both watched one of their favorite programs.

Over two hours after Russ began playing, he finished the song, and took in a deep breath, wiping the sweat off his brow. Sasami had brought him a cold glass of ice water, and sat it down on a small table that she placed next to him, nearly an hour ago. She also invited him for lunch, but Russ never noticed her, devoting his full concentration to the creation of the music. He removed the headphones, which more or less peeled themselves off of his ears.

It must've been a hundred degrees inside the house, and Russ felt even more uncomfortable from concentrating so hard, however, he felt that it was worth it. Looking around the room, he totally forgot that Sasami had prepared lunch. He noticed that Sasami was no longer in the kitchen, but was outside playing with Ryo-Ohki. Aeka was lying on the couch, silently watching Russ, as he turned his gaze toward her and smiled.

"I'm done," he said. "Would you like to hear it?"

Aeka slowly sat up and nodded.

"Okay. Here we go. Keep your fingers crossed. I played every instrument except for the piano. I'll do that now and record it, as it's playing," he said, as he hit the play and record buttons on the computer. He adjusted the volume to a medium level, waited a few moments, and then the song began.

The sound of thunder rumbled through the sound system, and Russ used some weird effect on it, in a steady rhythm. Sounds of raindrops also were discernable. A moment later, a light bass instrument came though the speakers, vibrating the floor slightly, along with another electronic instrument. Russ then began playing the piano portion and making it echo, in perfect time with the rhythm he had set up on his own. As the song progressed, more and more instruments joined in the piece.

Aeka sat and listened, in total amazement at what he had done. A slow smile spread across her lips, as she sat back on the couch, listening to the music increase in tempo and then go into full force. Nobuyuki came down the stairs, Sasami came inside, Ryoko and Tenchi both came out of the kitchen, Kiyone and Mihoshi followed Nobuyuki, and Washu happened to come out of her lab. All of them walked into the living room at once and stopped, almost as if drawn in by the sound of music, as Russ continued to play the piano portion of the song.

About seven minutes later, he faded the song out and stopped the midi computer from recording, letting out a deep breath, as a roar of applause erupted behind him. He whirled around and saw everybody standing there, clapping his or her hands. Everybody smiled, and continued applauding, as Russ blushed a deep scarlet, in complete embarrassment.

Russ finally slid off the bench and stood up, waving his hands around. "Oh, stop it. I'm not that good. He then bowed. "I take it you guys enjoyed that?"

"I'm glad I got that organ now. I'm so happy that someone here can use it to its full potential," Nobuyuki said, as he slapped Russ on the back.

"Thanks," he replied, shyly. "The name of that song was called Children, and it was originally composed and done by Robert Miles. That was the Dreamland version. He was one of my favorite New Age Jazz musicians," he explained, and thought a moment. "As a matter of fact, I think he was the reason I bought my first music CD."

"Wow, I never knew you had musical talent like that," Aeka said, from the couch. "You keep showing us some really extraordinary stuff. I would not have ever known you could play an instrument like that."

"Yeah. Although it did take me," Russ looked at the clock, "over two hours to input that song into the organ, I am pleased with the final result. The music came out almost flawless. This organ is a very useful tool for creating and playing music." Russ reached behind him and ejected the floppy disk. "I saved that song onto this disk, so you can play it back whenever you like," he said, as he applied a label to the disk and set it down.

"Wow, that was great," Sasami said, standing next to Aeka, with Ryo-Ohki, still on top of her head. "Can you play anything you want on that organ?"

"More or less," he said, smiling. "You know of anything that you'd like to hear?"

"No, not really. I wish I did, though."

"Hmmm, I know. I'll do a little something tonight, just for you," he said, causing Sasami's face to light up like the sun.

"Really?"

Nodding, Russ made his way over to her and patted her on the shoulder. "Of course. I thought of a song and rhythm as soon as I saw you. I'll let you know what I'll call it, tomorrow, after it's done." He looked around the room, and decided he would do a theme for just about everybody, just for the fun of it.

Washu walked up to him and handed him a little device. It was the gravity enhancer he forgot to take with him after he undressed during his examination. "You forgot this," she said.

"Whoops, seems I did. Thanks," he said, accepting it and wrapping it around his left arm.

"Did you get those plans you were telling me about?"

Russ slapped his head. "Aw geez, I forgot that too," he growled, and after that, laughed. "Be right back," he said, placing two fingers to his forehead and vanishing. About ten seconds later he reappeared in the same spot, holding a data pad. "This is it," he said, surrendering the pad over to Washu, who studied it for a few moments.

"This is a pretty complex piece of technology. This ought to be a lot of fun to build. I wonder if I could make it have more uses than just a regeneration tank."

"Just as long as it can still heal someone, you can do whatever you please with it."

"Hmmm," she said, disappearing back into her lab.

Turning back to everybody, he smiled. "Well, I'm glad you enjoyed that, but now I have to get to training. I've been slacking off for the last day. I'll be right outside, so if you need me for something, I'll be right over there," he said, pointing to the lake's shoreline, near a bunch of trees.

"We'll come get you when it's dinner time," Tenchi said.

Russ nodded, and afterward went outside.

Tenchi turned back toward his father. "Why did you get this organ?"

"It's something I always wanted to get involved in, and I hoped you'd take an interest in it, too," Nobuyuki responded.

"I don't know. I really don't have the time to do anything like this, having to take care of the field and the many other responsibilities I have around the house."

"It's not something that needs to be done right away. If you feel like it, give it a try and learn something new."

"I'll think about it," Tenchi said, turning toward the door. Ryoko grabbed him in a hug from behind.

"Where are you going?" she asked, pitifully.

"I have to go clean the shrine, and possibly practice with Grandpa. You know how it is."

Ryoko's expression saddened a little, as she followed him outside. Aeka just watched the couple, the pain from seeing them together still not fully healed or gone away.

It's been nearly six months since the incident with Haruna. Tenchi thought he had chosen Ryoko, however, he never knew that it was actually Aeka who had given up the chase, to save him. "I want you to go to him. Don't you see? You're the only one who can reach him!" Aeka had said to Ryoko, as the dream world was collapsing. Those words continued to echo in her mind, even though it has long since been over with. It still pained her, remembering that traumatic episode, and being without Tenchi for the six months that Haruna kept him captive. The price to save him had been too high, and she knew it, but it was necessary, all the same.

What if it was different? What if the incident with Haruna had never occurred? What then? Aeka thought about it a little more, and drew up an old conclusion. He would've never chosen, and Ryoko and herself would continue to fight over him, as they had from the first day they met him. Was that better than what was happening now?

Aeka stood up and walked over to the organ, sitting down on the bench, and looking at the keys that Russ had tapped and played for over two hours today, still lost in thought.

No, what happened with Haruna was for the best. It showed which one of them was willing to go the entire way for Tenchi. And she knew who could reach Tenchi first.

She turned her attention outside, and watched Russ near the edge of the lake, doing pushups.

And what about him? Could he show her love? Or would this be another mistake, as it had been with Tenchi? Was Tenchi a mistake? No… no. Tenchi could not even be considered a mistake. Tenchi had been the best thing that had ever happened to her. He was the first person to treat her as a woman, and not a princess, and he didn't care how many ships she had, how many planets were under her empire, or how much money she had, or even a throne. None of that mattered to him, and he saw through all of that, to see the sweet, innocent girl that landed in front of his house, so long ago. It seemed so long ago, anyway. But now, here was another man, her age, which had the same aspirations as Tenchi. He too, didn't care about a throne, or her power, or anything like that, and he liked her as a person, and that is something she had longed for. He too, was treating her as a normal person, and not a princess. He didn't bow down to kiss her feet, as most other men would have if they knew of her title. However, truthfully, he DID know of her title and where she was from. It was mentioned last night. But that didn't matter to him either.

Russ also seemed to be kind of sad, in a lonely kind of way. She felt it as he told her the many stories from the night before, and he always alluded to the fact that he had done most of them alone. He kept his feelings behind a mask of happiness, and she had a hunch that he was lonely, and needed someone. But why didn't he ever have a companion? Was it because of his race? She wouldn't know, because this was the very first time she has ever seen, or even heard of a Saiyan. Watching the fight earlier today was totally astounding, but frightening too. Maybe that was why he was shunned and rejected wherever he went. But she could draw conclusions the whole day, and may never come up with the real reason he was alone. She was alone, too. Hopefully one day he, or even she, would decide to change all that.

Standing up from the bench and stretching, she decided to go make herself busy, and water the flower garden. Stepping outside, she picked up the hose and turned on the water, and began spraying the flowers on the side of the house, in plain sight of the lake, and Russ. He still had his face pointed toward the grass, continuing to do his pushups, but from what she could see, he was having a really hard time with them, and he appeared to be out of breath. Releasing the trigger for the sprayer on the hose and silencing the water, she could faintly hear Russ grunting under some tremendous strain, as he rose and fell with each thrust.

Aeka watched him silently, forgetting that she was supposed to be watering the flowers. Snapping out of her daydream, she shook her head and resumed spraying the plants, giving them a much-needed drink of water, especially on such a scorcher of a day. However, her mind continued to wander, considering the possibilities of a life with another man. It was still much, much too early to tell if he held any kind of romantic attraction to her. However, the chance of falling in love with another man was not very high, especially after having her love turned down more than once. She didn't know if her heart could handle another rejection, and that was frightening to even consider.

The puddle under her feet started flooding around her combat boots, beading on the leather but keeping her feet dry. Finally noticing the growing puddle, she sighed, then moved onto another part of the flower patch, and decided that, only time would tell, if her heart could stand one more chance at true love.

"Is there something you want to talk about, Ryoko?" Tenchi asked, while walking up the stairway to the shrine, with the space pirate floating beside him.

She looked back at him, a calm and peaceful aura about her. "No, not really. I just like looking at you. You're still as handsome as the day I met you," she said, eliciting a blush from Tenchi.

"You're very beautiful too, Ryoko," he said, glancing over at her and smiling. "But anyway, is there something you want to talk about? You usually don't just follow me out here without a reason."

"So I need a reason to be with the man I've fallen in love with?" she said, playfully, as she floated over behind him, wrapping her arms around his body and squeezing him tightly, placing her chin over his shoulder.

Tenchi chuckled. "Of course not. I just thought you wanted to talk or something. Unless you want to help me clean the shrine," he said, grinning. But to his surprise, she nodded.

"Sure, I'll help you," she said, continuing to hang on him. "It'll give me something to do, and give me another reason to be close to you."

Smiling and blushing, Tenchi took her arm and caressed it, then pulled her along side him and gave her a tight hug. "That's very sweet of you," he said, as she returned his affection. He gave her a light kiss on the cheek. As he was pulling back, Ryoko grabbed him in a crushing embrace; giving him one of the most awesome, soul-probing kisses she ever mustered. She moaned softly, sounding almost like a kittens purr. They held that embrace for nearly a minute, and then she backed off, allowing Tenchi to come up for air. He stared back at her, dumbfounded, as she giggled alongside him. "Wow," was all he managed to say, which made her giggle harder.

"Are you sure you have to clean the shrine NOW? Can't you do it a little later and instead spend some time with me? Let's go do something fun."

"Sorry, Ryoko. But I have to clean the shrine or Grandpa will be quite angry with me. I've missed practice once already last week, and I already know I'm going to get it for that." Tenchi watched as her happy expression melted away, becoming sad, while she watched the steps in front of her, not meeting Tenchi's gaze. "It won't take too long. Then we can go do whatever you want. Is that okay? If you help me, I can get it done twice as fast, which means even more free time."

Her expression changed to an amused smirk. "Always trying to con me into doing chores around the house, aren't you," she snickered, poking him in the ribs. Gazing wistfully at the blue sky, she sighed. "Remember what I told you a long time ago?"

"You've told me a lot of things, Ryoko. You'll have to be a little more specific."

"You don't remember, do you? I was floating alongside you, except you were on your way to school."

Tenchi thought a few moments, as the memory came back to him. "You had said, 'Oh Tenchi, isn't it so nice? It's like a carnival every day. Oh, I wish these days could go on just like this forever and ever,'" he said, also lost in thought. "Yeah, I remember it like it was yesterday. Why do you ask?"

"Because I want this to last forever," she said, gazing into his eyes. "I don't ever want this to end."

Tenchi gazed back into her golden, feral eyes. "What is it you're not telling me, Ryoko?"

Sighing, she wrapped her arms around his chest once again. "Do you ever… think about Aeka?"

He looked at her with mild surprise. "Only as a good friend. She's one of the best friends I've ever had. You are too, and a whole lot more," he said, returning her hug.

"She's depressed, Tenchi. She tries to hide it, but I can tell. She's still upset, considering that she'll never know your affections like I do. I feel bad, and a little guilty, for her. Doesn't that sound strange, especially coming from me, her worst enemy?"

Tenchi shook his head. "Not at all. We've all lived together for over a year, and you two have become friends. Even though it was a rocky start, considering both your pasts, you both have emerged triumphantly, and left that past behind," he said, starting back up the shrine steps. "But yes, I have sort of noticed that Aeka has been sad a lot more. I wish I could do something to help, but I don't know what I can do."

"Me neither. Would you actually believe that I was considering SHARING you with her? She's hurting," she said, sadness in her voice. "I know I would've gone insane if she hadn't… uh… if you hadn't chosen me over her. You're this pirate's most valuable treasure. You're the universe to me, and I can't imagine life without you," she said, tears welling up in her eyes.

The tears started trickling down her face, as Tenchi tried to brush them away with his thumb, taking her face in his hands. He then smiled. "This is why I love you so much. You care for others, much more than you yourself realize. Deep down, under that pirate's exterior, lays one of the kindest hearts I've ever seen," he said, pulling her close, and allowing her head to rest against his chest. He slowly ran his fingers through her wild mane of cyan, kitten-soft hair and lightly patted her back, stopping his ascent up the stairs again, as she quietly sobbed into his chest.

"Seeing Aeka so unhappy is making me unhappy too. I can't imagine what I'd do if I couldn't have you," she said, quietly, as the tears continued to trickle down her cheeks onto Tenchi's kimono. "And I know Aeka must feel what I would've felt, and I don't wish that on anybody. Not even her."

Ever since Tenchi had met Aeka, there had always been a tinge of sadness about her. From the very first day he met her, when she arrived to rescue Mihoshi, her unhappiness had surfaced a couple of times. Even when Grandpa had suggested that he take Aeka around the shrine and the surrounding area, she seemed distracted, and almost unwilling, but Grandpa insisted that she take advantage of her unexpected day off, and that she forget about her duties as the First Crown Princess, just for one day.

He remembered taking her to the small pond to see the massive tree, and to see the surrounding mountains, which were filled with the colors of fall. And then, when they were leaving the tree, she slipped and fell, ever so delicately into Tenchi's arms. She slowly stood back up, and they looked into each other's eyes, with just a hint of attraction between them. Of course, being as shy as they both were, they turned away, blushing fiercely, and making up silly excuses.

"I have never felt like this, in my life," she said to herself. Afterward, he offered to take her up to a much higher spot, near the top of the hill where the shrine was located, which overlooked the valley and gave quite a view. That was when she started to cry, but she said it was nothing, and that it was the most perfect day off she had ever had. And the more he thought about it, the more he realized, that on that day, she was actually falling in love with him. And now, that possibility of love was taken away, from the only man that she had ever fallen in love with, all on her own.

Tenchi sighed and continued to hold Ryoko, as she finally stopped whimpering into his kimono. He gently released her and allowed her to float beside him. "Do you feel a little better now, Ryoko?"

"A little. Damn my conscience. We have to do something to make her happy again, or it's going to drive me crazy," she said, now smiling, as she sniffled.

"Well, what would you suggest?"

"How about a present or something? From both of us?"

"I suppose that could work. But material possessions aren't important to Aeka," he said, lost in thought. "What if we talk to Russ, and have him come along with us when we go get that present? I'm sure she'd feel a bit better if it came from him, rather than the both of us."

"Oooh, you mean, play matchmaker?" Ryoko grinned. "I have noticed Aeka has been spending a little bit of time with him, but really, I think it's too early to get those two involved in a relationship. I mean he only arrived yesterday, and she's not one to move things along quickly, and Russ doesn't strike me as one who would either."

"I suppose. But anyway, we can still get her a gift. But what would she like?"

Ryoko and Tenchi both looked at each other, and then shrugged their shoulders.

"You've got me. She's never expressed an interest in anything here on this planet. She keeps to herself quite a bit, except for when she was pursuing you, my Tenchi," she said. "Why don't we go into the mall a little later and shop around? There's got to be something that she'd like."

"I think she'd like the thoughtfulness behind the gift, rather than the gift itself," Tenchi responded. "But it's got to be something she'd like."

"I know! We could ask Sasami! We can have her come with us too, when we go," Ryoko said, excitedly. "She knows her sister better than anybody."

"Great idea, Ryoko! We'll ask her as soon as I finish cleaning the shrine and practicing with Grandpa, then we'll all go to the mall, together. We'll take Aeka with us as well. Maybe she just needs to get out of the house a little bit more, too." Tenchi smiled at her, and took her hand. "Let's get busy and then we can go."

Ryoko sighed to herself and smiled. This was the reason she fell in love with Tenchi. He was always kind hearted, and had always strived to never hurt anybody, willfully or accidentally. Ever since that first day she crash-landed near the Masaki's home and was found by Tenchi, she almost immediately began to fall in love. Here was a farmer's boy, who didn't care where she was from, or why she crashed. She was passed out from a hangover when he found her, then gave her some water, and asked if she was all right. Nobody had ever said those words, and was happy to see that she was uninjured. She remembered gazing up into his smiling face as she came to, and felt surprisingly happy. Even though she had lied to him and told him that she was actually the damsel in distress, and that Mihoshi was the space pirate, he still accepted her into his home and took care of her, along with everybody else whom crash-landed at his place, and even threatened his life.

He even risked his own life to save her, when a notorious criminal, Kagato, had captured her and took her aboard his ship, the Soja. It didn't matter that she was a space pirate, or those past deeds. He nearly died for her, and only survived due to Tsunami, who found him and reconstructed his body, after Kagato nearly destroyed Ryo-Ohki.

Pushing those unpleasant memories behind her, she continued to float alongside the man she fell in love with, as they made their way to the shrine. "I'll be happy to help you clean the shrine, Tenchi. In fact, if I clean the whole shrine, and you practice with your Grandfather, it shouldn't take long at all, and then we can go whenever both of us finish. How does that sound?"

Smiling, Tenchi shook his head. "You don't have to do that if you don't want to."

"But I want to, Tenchi. Because it's you, and you asked me to help you, right?"

"I guess so," he said, grinning sheepishly. "Thanks a lot. We'll be able to leave a lot sooner in that case. Secondly, the mall is air conditioned, which is awesome, and we're both going to be dying in this heat." They reached the top of the steps, where Katsuhito was standing on the porch of the shrine office, just out of the sunlight.

"Hey Grandpa, I'm here for practice," Tenchi called out to him. Katsuhito nodded then produced two bokken from behind his back. Ryoko floated over to the far end of the porch where a broom was propped up against the wall, and she began sweeping the walkway.

Katsuhito took notice and allowed his surprise to crease his expression. "Since when does Ryoko do any work around here? You wouldn't happen to know anything about this now, would you, Tenchi?"

He laughed and grinned. "Whatever do you mean, Grandpa?"

Katsuhito just shook his head and led Tenchi to the training area, for a short practice. "I'll never understand your relationship with her, Tenchi."

"I had asked her to help clean the shrine while I practice. We both plan on going to the mall later on today."

"Oh? How come?" Katsuhito handed him one of the bokken.

"Well, Ryoko and I both noticed that Aeka seems to be depressed lately. We were all going to go to the mall, and Ryoko and I are going to get her a present, which will hopefully cheer her up a little."

"So you've finally noticed it?"

"What do you mean, finally? I knew it was going to be hard on her once a choice was made, but she has done quite a feat, hiding her depression from me," Tenchi said, looking at the wooden sword in his hand. "I'm just not sure what I should get her. And I don't want her to know it's because I saw her depressed, either."

"Hmmm… You've got yourself quite a predicament there."

"Yeah, I know. It's hard on me, too, knowing that she still has feelings for me. It's probably torture for her to see me with Ryoko all the time."

They arrived at the training area, and moved to their respective positions. Bowing to each other, they swung their wooden swords around, warming up a bit before they began sparring.

"I've noticed Aeka seems to be taking a liking to Russ," Katsuhito said, who was now ready to begin the match.

"Me too. However, I think she's afraid of being rejected again. And I have no idea how Russ feels about her."

"It's too soon to tell if he would have any feelings for her. Right now, it's only a friendship. It's up to either one of them to progress it any further than that. Don't pressure either of them to do that, or they may get angry with you."

Tenchi took up a defensive stance, also ready to begin. "I understand. I remember how it felt when Ryoko wanted to move things along so quickly. It was uncomfortable, to say the least. Plus, with Aeka there, whenever Ryoko tried to pursue me, it usually wound up with apocalyptic results."

"Yeah, the house was nearly leveled a couple of times from those two, wasn't it?" he said, smiling. He swung the bokken and prepared to attack. "Are you ready, Tenchi?"

"Yes," he said, matching Katsuhito's move.

They both stood apart, each staring into the other's eyes, waiting for one of them to lose patience or break his concentration.

In his typical tactic, Katsuhito glanced at something over Tenchi's shoulder. "Oh, hi Aeka, what are you doing here?"

"Aeka?" Tenchi said, starting to turn around, and then instantly realized his mistake… again… and parried the blow from his grandfather, resulting in a loud crack of wood against wood.

"You still fall for that same old trick, don't you, Tenchi? Even Russ didn't fall for it, and instead almost nailed me, since I wasn't expecting it," he said, leaping back and swinging the bokken in a wide arc, directly for Tenchi's leg.

He leapt over it and swung his own bokken down in a wide arc, trying to nail his grandfather in the shoulder, which was sidestepped. Katsuhito thrust his own bokken right for Tenchi's chest, which he swiftly parried, as their two swords locked against each other, and they began a quick test of strength. Tenchi trembled under his grandfathers amazing power. They quickly broke their stance and leapt back a few feet, taking up defensive postures.

"Well, I see you're learning," Katsuhito smirked, once again charging Tenchi, swinging his bokken in a random cycle, making jabs and swinging at various parts of Tenchi's body. "Have you decided on what you're going to get Aeka for a gift?"

Swiftly dodging and parrying all the blows, Tenchi saw an opening and started his own offense, swinging his own bokken in a standard pattern, which was easily avoided. "No, I haven't a clue as to what to get her. I was hoping Sasami would help us out," he said, now beginning to pant and breathe a little harder, and his eyes stung from the salty water from his perspiration.

"She would know what Aeka would like. But, what would you like to get her? It would mean more if you were the one to decide on what to get," he said, restarting his own offense, his bokken connecting with Tenchi's as they locked in another test of strength.

"I suppose you're right, but at least she could give us an idea," he said, grunting under the pressure. "But I've never been good at picking out gifts. What could I possibly get a girl who hasn't wanted anything except to be with me?" Tenchi leapt back a few feet and held his bokken ready.

Katsuhito stopped his offense, and lowered his bokken down to his side. Seizing an opportunity, Tenchi sprung at his grandfather, thrusting his sword toward his head, but Katsuhito casually nodded to the side, then brought his own bokken up in between Tenchi's legs, stopping less than an inch away from his crotch. Tenchi turned blue for a moment, slowly backing off.

"I have no idea what gift to suggest for you to get her. That's something that you have to decide for yourself. Just make sure she'll be happy with it, and won't dredge up old feelings," he said, tapping his sword in his hand and sitting down on his usual boulder, which thankfully was shaded from the scorching sun. "Oh, and Tenchi?"

"Yes?" He hopped on the small wood stakes in the ground to practice balance.

"Be careful about when an enemy appears to lower his defenses. He may be trying to trick you. It isn't over until it's over," he said, snickering.

"I'll keep that in mind, Grandpa," he said, leaping from stake to stake, repeatedly hitting a chunk of wood into the air with his sword. "I wonder what Russ is going to get her, if he decides to go with us."

"You plan on inviting him along, too?"

"Yes, of course. Why wouldn't I?"

Laughing to himself, Katsuhito thought a moment. "I don't know. Just something odd about him, is all." He looked at Tenchi with a grin. "You going to try to get Aeka in a relationship with him?"

"No, not really," he said quickly. "Mainly just to invite him along. It'd be a good chance to get to know him a little better."

"Ahhh, I see. How are you going to get there?"

"I was hoping dad was going to drive us or something," he said, smacking the hunk of wood back into the air, skillfully keeping his balance on the stakes. "I haven't really thought too much about it."

"Well, I'll leave that up to you to sort out," he said, looking into the sky, which was littered with small, white clouds. "Looks like we may get some rain tomorrow."

"I hope so. This heat is crazy." Tenchi swatted the block into the air again, and quickly wiped his brow off with the back of his hand.

"Yes, it is hot, but a samurai must show no weakness. You may be required to fight whether you're comfortable or not, sick or well, hot or cold, and even in places where you never thought of fighting before." Katsuhito wiped his own brow with the sleeve of his own kimono. "Well, practice for another ten minutes, then you can go home. I don't want you getting sick out here."

"Thanks, Grandpa. The mall will be nice and cool, since it's air conditioned," he said, catching the wood block in his left hand and hopping off the stakes. "It'll be wonderful to cool off for a while."

Walking up the path to the shrine, Katsuhito grinned, as Tenchi continued his routine exercises.

Making his way out of the training area, Tenchi spotted Ryoko, who was just finishing sweeping the walkways. Her hair wasn't its usual, spiky appearance, but more matted to her head from the scorching heat. She stopped and stretched toward the sky, then turned around, noticing Tenchi walking toward her. She put the broom down and floated over to him.

"Hi, Tenchi. I'm done," she moaned, giving him a hug. "I'm burning up out here."

"You and me both. Let's go get ourselves cleaned up and then we'll go to the mall. Is that okay?"

"Yes, of course! I must look my best for my Tenchi," she giggled.

He walked over to the broom and put it in its place on the porch. "Grandpa, we're going now. We'll be back later," he called through the office door. Turning around and taking Ryoko by the hand, he led her back to the house.

Having just finished watering the flowers, Aeka was in the process of winding up the hose on the reel. She finished, turned around, and saw Tenchi coming toward her, trailed by Ryoko. They were both smiling, but weren't looking at each other for once, but instead were looking directly at her. She straightened herself and smoothed out her gi, and met them at the edge of the garden.

"Hi Aeka. Ryoko and I are going to go to the mall. Would you like to come? We're going to invite everybody, if they want to go."

Hiding her surprise, she nodded. "Sure, I'd like to go. It'll give me a chance to shop around, and see if there is anything new I'd like."

"Great! Glad to hear it," Ryoko said, with a big grin. She landed on the ground and stood next to Tenchi, but didn't touch. "We're going to go take a quick bath and clean ourselves up a little. Care to join us for that too?"

"I guess so. It is really hot out here," she said, not sounding very convincing.

"Okay, we'll meet you in the onsen."

"I'll just go take a quick shower in the house. You girls go on ahead," Tenchi mentioned. "We'll all meet in the house. I'll see if dad can give us all a lift or something."

"Alright. Let's see if Russ wants to go too." Ryoko began making her way over to him, who was now rapidly kicking in the air. His foot was nothing but a blur and his face was contorted with strain. "He sure does know how to exercise. Wow."

Aeka nodded, following, with Tenchi just behind her. "He did a lot of pushups and sit-ups. He just started doing that about fifteen minutes ago," she said, watching him. Almost at that same moment, Russ changed over to his other foot and began kicking in the air, his foot nothing but a blur. His back was now to them, and didn't see them approach.

"Hey Russ!" Tenchi said, loudly enough so he could hear over the noise of the wind, which sounded very similar to a fan.

Russ stopped, and turned toward them, breathing heavily and sweating profusely. "Yeah? What's up?"

"Geez, are you okay? You're really sweating a lot," Ryoko said, looking concerned.

"Yeah," he said, between deep breaths. "I just have the gravity enhancer up to five hundred times Earth's normal gravity."

Tenchi, Aeka, and Ryoko all facefaulted, then recovered. "Did you say, five hundred times normal gravity?" Tenchi looked exasperated.

Nodding, Russ pointed toward the little machine on his arm. "Washu made this for me. It's great for intense training. I normally weigh about two hundred, twenty two pounds, or exactly a hundred kilograms. With this machine set at five hundred g's, I weigh a hundred, eleven thousand pounds, or fifty thousand kilograms."

Everybody facefaulted again, then recovered. "That's impossible! Anybody should be crushed under that much gravity!" Tenchi shouted.

Russ grinned and shook his head, and jumped into the air about two feet, then landed on the ground. His impacts made his feet sink into the ground about six inches, which resulted in a chorus of gasps from the three. "Trust me, I weigh as much as I said." He grinned, as he stepped out of the holes. "I want normal earth gravity."

The machine beeped, as the tremendous weight that was bearing down on Russ was lifted in a few seconds. He stretched, becoming used to the gravity again. "Ahhh, that was a great workout. I'll have to continue it later," he said, as the threesome continued to stare at him. "Err, is something wrong? I've been saying that a lot lately, haven't I?"

Snapping out of their bewilderment, they shook their heads. "No, everything is just fine. We just came over here to ask if you wanted to go to the mall with us. We're all going, and we wanted to know if you wanted to come along."

Russ curled his upper lip as his face showed disgust. "Shopping? In a mall? Oh boy…"

"Come on, Russ. It won't be too bad. All of us are going, and it'll be nice and cool inside the place, since it's air-conditioned. Are you sure you don't want to go?" Aeka pleaded.

Sighing in defeat, he nodded his head. "Okay, I'll go just this once. Normally, I hate shopping, unless I'm going to an electronics store," he said, grinning. "I love technology. At least, earth based technology. Washu's lab is too crazy for me." He started laughing.

"Great," Aeka said, now smiling widely. "We're all going to get ourselves cleaned up, so we'll meet you inside the house in about five or ten minutes. Is that okay?"

"Whatever," he said, not sounding enthusiastic at all, but managing a small grin.

Aeka turned toward Ryoko. "You know, it would be nice if we had a bath inside the house, instead of having to come all the way out here to this onsen."

"You know, you're right. I hate walking through the rain and other inclement weather. Washu could set us up, couldn't she?"

Aeka nodded. "Of course. For the greatest scientific genius in the universe, it should be no trouble at all," she snickered.

Russ and Tenchi both looked back and forth between the two girls while they conversed, as they made their way toward the house to get a fresh change of clothes.

Heading inside the house, Tenchi spotted Sasami playing off near the shrine steps with Ryo-Ohki. "I'll go ask Sasami if she wants to come along with us," he said.

"Okay, see you in about ten minutes in that case," Ryoko said, not turning around. She floated up to Tenchi's room and disappeared through the door, and Aeka went to her own room. Russ started to go inside, but Tenchi tugged on his gi and motioned Russ to follow him outside, discretely. Nodding, he steeled a look back inside the house, and then went back outside with Tenchi.

"What's up?"

"Ryoko and myself are going to buy Aeka a small present," he said, jumping right to the point. "She seems to be depressed lately, and we wanted to get her something special, to let her know we still care about her."

"I see. And why did I need to know this?" he asked politely.

"Well, we want to keep it secret from her. We're going to give it to her later today. It's just a little sympathy present. Would you mind, once we get to the mall, accompanying Aeka, while Ryoko and myself go and get her gift, and maybe something for us too?"

"Sure, not a problem. I kind of figured that was going to be the plan anyway," he said, grinning. "But it's fine with me." He turned thoughtful for a moment. "I have noticed she seems sad. Maybe I should get her something too. I'll be with her, so whatever she picks out I'll buy. But, there is a small problem. I don't have any Japanese currency."

"Don't worry about it. I'll give you some money to buy just about anything she may want."

"If you say so," Russ said, snickering. "Most women love the same things, which are usually all outrageously priced." He started laughing.

Tenchi just started at him. "Well, she's not like that. She really doesn't have any wants or desires."

"Doesn't matter. But I'll see about getting her something nice."

"Okay. Good enough. I'm going to go ask Sasami, Washu, Kiyone, and Mihoshi if they'd like to go."

"Right," he announced, nodding his head. "I'll go take a fast shower and put on some normal clothes. Who is taking us?"

"I hope dad will. He has today off, so it shouldn't be too bad."

"Alright. See you in ten minutes."

"Good. Now remember the plan," Tenchi said, holding up his index finger. "Don't tell her about our present, or it will ruin the surprise."

"Yeah, yeah. I know the routine," he laughed, and then walked up the stairs to his room.

Ten minutes later, everybody, even Washu, piled into the van with Nobuyuki at the wheel. Russ was now dressed in a light blue t-shirt and a pair of jeans shorts that went down to his knees. His muscles were so large that the shirt was being stretched around the sleeves. Everybody else dressed in his or her normal, everyday clothes. Aeka in her blue, green and purple kimono that she loved to wear, Sasami in her pink and green one, Washu in her standard science academy uniform, Ryoko in her blue and yellow kimono that had a tail, and Tenchi, now wearing cargo shorts and a tank top.

Ryo-Ohki wanted to come along, and put up a fit when she found out pets weren't allowed in the mall. She transformed into her childlike human form, and continued to protest.

"Oh, I guess you can come," Sasami giggled. "Just make sure you stay that way while we're in the mall or we may get thrown out."

Ryo-Ohki meowed an affirmative and hopped onto Sasami's lap. She was wearing her pink dress with that cute carrot logo on the front.

Two seconds after they all piled into the van, Kiyone's wristband started beeping.

"Oh great! This just figures. We have an emergency! Let's go, Mihoshi!" Kiyone re-opened the door and jumped out.

"Oh no!" Mihoshi whined, being pulled out of the van by Kiyone. "Why does this always happen to us?"

"I know it's annoying, but we've got a job to do!" Kiyone turned back toward the van. "Sorry guys, but we have to go. Have fun for us while you're there, okay?"

"Sorry you guys. You can come with us the next time we go," Tenchi offered.

The two Galaxy Police officers ran behind the house, and a moment later, their shuttle roared out of the backyard and into the atmosphere.

The ride to the mall was short and uneventful, but uncomfortable even with the van's air conditioning system. Nobuyuki dropped everyone off and said he'd return in two hours. Everybody walked inside and made their way through the eatery, which was right inside the entrance to the place. They all breathed a sigh of relief when they felt the rush of nice, cool, seventy-four degree air come in contact with their skin.

"Okay," Tenchi began, standing near a fountain. "We'll go our own separate ways. Ryoko and I are going to go shop around, and the rest of you can divide up as you please. We'll meet back here in two hours for dad to pick us all up."

Everybody nodded, except for Russ, who frowned. He turned toward Aeka. "Well, would you mind if I accompanied you? Tenchi and Ryoko want to go off on their own, and I'll go with you," he said, and then turned his attention to Washu, Sasami and Ryo-Ohki. "What about you three? You're welcome to tag along with one of our little groups or go off on your own."

"Actually, Sasami?" Tenchi said, shifting uneasily. "Now that I think about it, would you mind coming along with us?"

"Sure, I don't mind," said the little blue haired princess, smiling the whole time. "Where are we going first?"

"We'll think of something. What about you, Washu?" he asked.

"I think I'm going to tag along with Russ and Aeka. Who knows, I may split off and go off on my own too. But for now," she said, latching onto Russ, "I'm going with him!"

Aeka's bitter streak skyrocketed and she was about to protest, when Washu released him. "Okay then, have fun! See you guys in a couple hours," Tenchi said, and made his way over to the escalator, tailed by Ryoko, Sasami and the spaceship.

"Well, where would you like to go first? Is there anything that had interested you?" Russ asked both Washu and Aeka. "I'm just here because you talked me into going."

They all stood and looked at each other for a few moments, and then Russ shrugged his shoulders. "Well, let's just browse. What's that, over there?" he said, making his way over to the first store, which was filled with leather jackets and other leather accessories. He stopped in front of the window, checking out a full-length leather coat. Aeka and Washu were behind him, admiring him rather than the jacket he was looking at.

Sensing something odd, he turned around and looked at the two girls, who both had the same, mischievous smile on their faces. He began to perspire slightly, then snickered. "I'm going inside. There may be something in there that's nice."

The two girls followed him inside, as he stopped by the coat rack. Checking out the full-length, black leather coat, he pulled it off the hanger and held it up, as it made little squeaky noises. He put his arms in the sleeves and slid the coat on, draping it over his muscular form. "I feel like someone out of The Matrix," he snickered, while he admired himself in a mirror that was nearby. "All I need now are…" he spied exactly what he was looking for, in the perfect style, "sunglasses." He put them on his nose and put his arms to his sides, and did his best impression of Morpheus.

Washu and Aeka both looked at him, and were very impressed.

"I think that coat and sunglasses look good on you," Aeka giggled, walking over to him and checking him out.

"I agree," Washu added. "It actually suits you, with your black hair."

"You think so?" he said, smiling. "I don't know. Let's get out of here or I may wind up buying something." He laughed, and put the coat and sunglasses back where he found them. Turning around, Aeka grabbed him by the arm.

"Do you want that coat?" Aeka asked.

Russ shook his head. "No. I was never really into leather. I just wanted to check it out. Besides, fifty five thousand yen for a coat is a little insane, if you ask me. Besides, it's the middle of summer."

"Well, if you say so," she said, sounding a little disappointed. Russ gestured for the ladies to exit the store, which they accepted graciously. Russ followed behind them.

After they left the leather store, they checked out the store next to it. It was filled, wall-to-wall with movies and DVD's. Russ rubbed his chin thoughtfully and looked at the two women. "You want to go in here? I wonder if there are any new anime that I'd be interested in."

Aeka had already begun to make her way into the store, heading over to the drama section. Washu headed over to the nature and science area, and Russ made his way to the anime section. Browsing the many DVD videos that were available, he set his eyes on several anime that he enjoyed. Nearly everything was here, too. Vision of Escaflowne, Record of Lodoss War OVA, Record of Lodoss War – Chronicles of the Heroic Knight, all the Gundam series and movies, Neon Genesis Evangelion, Ninja Scroll, Sonic the Hedgehog, Sailor Moon, Ronin Warriors, Blue Submarine Number 6, and even Outlaw Star.

"Wow, awesome. They still have all of this stuff. However, it's a bit more expensive than it used to be. Darn inflation," he grumbled to himself. He looked up and over the shelves, and saw Aeka, who had a couple tapes in her hand. He moved his way over to her and looked over her shoulder, trying to get a better look of the covers.

"What do you have there?" he asked, startling her slightly.

She looked up from browsing the hundreds of tapes. "I was just checking out some movies that I haven't seen yet, that are supposed to be really good." She handed him the tapes. One of them was Titanic, which Russ resisted the temptation to shudder at, and the other tape was Terms of Endearment, which he had never seen. "I was also looking at this one," she said, pointing at another tape, with the label, Gone With the Wind.

Russ resisted the urge to make croaking and gagging noises at her picks for movies. "Would you like to get these movies?" he asked, instead.

"Well, I was going to get these two, but I don't know about this third one here."

"Get it. What's to lose?"

She looked at him incredulously, and then smiled. "Yeah, you're right," she announced, picking up the tape.

"Anything else you may want?"

"I think this is enough for now. What about you? Did you see anything you wanted?"

"Not really. I heard there were two good movies produced while I was off-planet. One of them was called Titan A.E, or Titan - After Earth, which was produced a few years ago, and another one was called Blue Planet, which was only recently produced. They're both computer animated movies, and they look really cool."

"Well, why don't you get them?"

"Nah. I'd probably be the only one to watch them."

"Why should that stop you?" she asked, looking at him with a hint of confusion.

"Who cares? Where is Washu? I wonder if she picked out anything," he said, avoiding the question. Aeka continued to look at him, trying to figure out why he wouldn't just buy the movies.

"Aw, come on. Just get them, if it'll give you something to do for a rainy day," she begged.

"I guess. I'm a little thrifty though. I don't spend money unless I need to."

"Give me a break," she said, rolling her eyes. "I'll buy the videos if you don't. What were those titles again?"

"Oh no you don't. You aren't buying me anything," he retorted, sternly. "I'll get them some other time, like for Christmas or something."

Not used to being refused, she challenged him a little more. "No. We'll get them now. I want to see them," she declared, glaring at him. She put down two of the tapes she was going to buy.

He stared back at her, furrowing his own eyebrows together. "I can be as stubborn as you, Aeka. No," he growled, as he turned around to go find Washu. She grabbed his arm and spun him back around, producing a look of total shock on Russ' face.

"What are you doing?" he snarled. "I told you I don't want the movies. Sheesh."

"I told you that I wanted to see them. You said they were Titan A.E. and Blue Planet?"

Russ continued to glare at her and didn't say anything.

"Fine, I'll go look for them," she snapped, turning on her heel and making her way to the animated section of the store. Russ continued to watch her in total surprise and bewilderment, then shook his head, and picked up the two tapes Aeka had left behind. He then moved over to the science area, in search of Washu.

In another part of the mall, Ryoko, Tenchi, Sasami, and Ryo-Ohki were browsing through a clothing store, checking out sweaters, t-shirts, shorts, pants, and other various clothes. Ryoko was playing dress-up with Tenchi, making him put on dozens of different clothing combinations, trying to decide what looked best on him. Sasami was doing almost the same thing with Ryo-Ohki, except they traded off after each set of clothes.

Ryoko was having a lot of fun, dressing up Tenchi in a lot of different styles and colors. After about the twelfth combination, he started complaining since Ryoko wasn't dressing up herself.

"No, I'm not putting on these clothes! I'm getting tired of this. It was fun the first couple of times but now it's annoying," he complained. "Why don't you try on some of this stuff?"

"Because it's more fun to dress you up, silly," she giggled, as she handed him yet another handful of clothes. This particular combo had blue jeans shorts and a lighter blue t-shirt. "Come on, just try this last pair on and then I'll stop, okay?" she begged.

Tenchi sighed in defeat. "Oh, alright. But this is the last pair!" He made his way into the changing room for the thirteenth time and began dressing.

Ryoko checked on Sasami, who had now dressed Ryo-Ohki in a fluorescent yellow-green dress that went down to her knees. Like with most of her other dresses, this had a logo of a large, orange carrot on the front. Surprisingly, it really brought out the yellow in her eyes and she meowed in approval. Giggling, Sasami handed her a straw hat that she put on the cabbit's head and stepped back.

"I like this," she said, smiling. "Lets get this for you, okay?"

Ryo-Ohki meowed an enthusiastic approval and smiled.

"Hey Sasami?" Ryoko said, walking over to the little princess.

She turned. "What is it, Ryoko?"

"Do you think your sister would like anything in here?"

Sasami looked a little confused by the question, but she brightened up and smiled. "Well, not really. She wears kimonos most of the time, and she never really cared for earth clothes."

"Oh, I see. Well, if we find a store that has something in it that she would like, would you tell us?"

"Sure, but why?"

"Tenchi and myself want to get Aeka a present, to cheer her up. She seems to be a lot sadder than usual, and we want to get her something special."

"So you noticed it too, huh?" she mumbled, her face turning downcast a little, but immediately bouncing back to her cutest smile. "Sure! I'll be happy to show you the things she would like!"

"Okay, but keep it a secret from her. It's going to be a surprise."

"You can count on me!" She thought a moment. "This is the reason you wanted me to come long with you guys, isn't it?" She winked, and turned her attention back to Ryo-Ohki. At that moment, Tenchi came out of the dressing room, dressed in the clothes Ryoko had given him.

Tenchi slowly turned around, showing off the style. "Well? What do you think of this set?"

Giggling, she grabbed him in another hug. "You've looked good in everything I've put you in. I don't think it matters what style of clothes you wear," she whispered into his ear.

"Stop that. You're going to spoil me," he snickered.

Ryoko became serious for a moment. "I asked Sasami what Aeka would like. She's going to help us out, and keep it a secret."

"Well, at least we'll get an idea of the things she'd have an interest in." Tenchi turned to go back into the dressing room. "Ready to get out of here and go on to the next store?"

"Yeah, okay." Ryoko held up a pile of clothes. "I'm getting you all of these, and the clothes you have on."

"Ryoko! I don't need all that stuff! I've got plenty at home and I don't have the closet space."

"Yeah right," she giggled. "You had plenty of room even after I put all my clothes in it."

Groaning, he returned to the dressing room to put his own clothes back on. Ryoko put the pile of shorts, shirts, and underclothes into a carryall basket and moved back to Sasami, watching her with interest.

"We're getting ready to leave the store here, Sasami, so get everything you want together," Ryoko informed her.

"Okay." She turned toward the spaceship. "Come on, Ryo-Ohki." She followed Sasami back to the dressing room as Tenchi emerged with his clothes on.

"Do you know how much these things cost, Ryoko?"

"It doesn't really matter to me, Tenchi," she whispered seductively. "Nothing is too expensive for my love."

"It does matter. I didn't bring a huge amount of money with me."

"Who said anything about paying for them?"

Tenchi looked back at her in utter horror. "What?! You're not stealing these things!"

"Aw, come on, Tenchi! It'll be fun! And remember, I am a space pirate. I need the practice," she begged, grinning from ear to ear, with her soft, golden, kitten like eyes gazing into Tenchi.

"NO!"

"But, Tenchiiiiii!"

"I said, NO!"

Ryoko looked about ready to cry and she hung her head, placed the basket of clothes on a shelf, and started to slowly walk away. Once again, Tenchi's conscience pricked at him for being mean to her.

"Oh, okay, Ryoko." She immediately brightened back up and nearly tackled him. "But we're not stealing them. I'll just buy the things, okay?"

"Oh, you're no fun, Tenchi." She made little cooing noises as she continued to hug him. Sasami and Ryo-Ohki came up behind them, unnoticed.

"Are you two finished and ready to go?" she asked, startling both of them, but only embarrassing Tenchi.

"Yeah," they both said at the same time.

They carried all the clothes up to the cash register and paid for them, which put quite a dent in Tenchi's wallet, but he still had enough for a nice gift for Aeka. Leaving the store, they slowly began walking down the mall corridor, checking out the interiors of most of the stores and searching for something that would peak Aeka's interest.

Coming to a jewelry store, Sasami stopped and pointed. "Aeka loves jewelry. And so do I." She grinned, and stepped inside.

Ryoko, Tenchi and Ryo-Ohki all followed the little princess, admiring the precious metals and stones through the glass cases. An older gentleman approached the four.

"Can I help you with anything today?" he asked, politely.

"Not at the moment. We're just looking," Tenchi answered.

"Okay. Let me know if you see anything you like," he said, walking back toward the counter and turning around. He continued to watch them as they slowly made their way around the store.

"Well, what would you recommend, Sasami?" Ryoko asked.

"Just about anything in here, actually," she replied, pushing her face near one of the showcases that were filled with various pendants and lockets.

Tenchi looked over her shoulder, also giving everything in the case a good look over. A few moments later, one item caught his eye. "Hey, what do you think of that?" he questioned, pointing toward a small pendant, designed as a bird, and had an amethyst stone for an eye.

The three girls looked over at what he was pointing at, and all of them smiled and nodded.

"That's really pretty," Ryoko stated, putting her arm around Tenchi's waist. "Doesn't that bird have a special meaning behind it?"

"That bird is actually a phoenix," said the gentleman, who had overheard them. He made his way over to the case and opened it up, removing the pendant and allowing Tenchi to get a closer look at it. "It is a mythical bird that supposedly had lived in Egypt for over five hundred years, and later it consumed itself by fire, and was later reborn from those ashes," he explained. "It can be interpreted as a symbol of immortality. It also means a thing of unsurpassed excellence or beauty, or a paragon."

Tenchi, Ryoko, Sasami and Ryo-Ohki all looked at each other, realizing the same thing at the same time. It's the ideal item to get for her. Ryo-Ohki meowed an encouragement, tugging on Tenchi's shirt.

"I think it's perfect!" Sasami beamed. "It has all the necessary meanings behind it."

"I don't know," Ryoko began. "The thing about the unsurpassed beauty part of it, anyway." She grinned at Tenchi, pulling him a little closer.

"It is very pretty," he said, fingering the pendant. "Do you really think she'd like this?"

"Yes! She'd be so surprised to get that from you, Tenchi," Sasami declared.

"Actually, both Ryoko and myself are giving her the gift." He turned toward the clerk. "We'll take this."

The salesman smiled. "Nice choice. It's fourteen karat gold with diamond cuts. The stone is an amethyst, and it weighs in at a little less than four grams," he said, as Tenchi handed over the pendant. "Would you like to take a look at our fine selection of chains to go with it?" he inquired, gesturing to a glass case a few feet further into the store.

"Yeah, okay," he said, as all four of them moved over to the showcase. They all admired the gleaming gold, silver, and a couple platinum necklaces, in different cuts and lengths.

"Well, Sasami? Recommendation?" Ryoko said, placing her hand on her shoulder.

"I don't know. They're all so pretty," she said, still peering into the case. "She does like things that sparkle though."

The spaceship meowed an agreement.

"I guess we could get one of those," Tenchi said, pointing toward a rope chain. "That looks like it has a lot of sparkle and dazzle to it."

"Yeah, but it also looks kind of plain," she mumbled.

"I don't have a fortune to spend either, Sasami. But I think she'll like it."

"Yeah, you're right. She's really going to love that pendant too. The gem is real close to Aeka's eye color."

"What do you think, Ryoko?" Tenchi said, nudging her gently.

"I think it's wonderful," she responded, smiling. "It'll really make her happy, and me too."

Tenchi was about to wave the salesman over, but he was already on his way. "See anything you like?"

"Yes, we want that one, right there," he answered, pointing to the chain in question.

"Okay. That one is also solid fourteen karat gold, and is diamond cut. It's eighteen inches long, and weighs about six grams," he said, opening up the case and withdrawing the gold necklace. "Will that be all for today?"

Tenchi nodded. "I don't think I could afford anything else." He smiled meekly.

"Well, you came at a good day. The two items you picked out were on sale," the clerk said, moving over to the cash register. He entered the two items into the computer and slid the pendant onto the chain, and then put them both in a small, rectangular box. "Your total comes to twenty thousand, twenty nine yen."

Nearly having a heart attack from the cost, his forehead beaded with perspiration. "This stuff is more expensive than I thought. And it's on sale too?"

"Yeah. Fifty percent off the marked prices."

"Well, better get it now before the price goes up again," he said while fishing out his wallet. He handed over the money and accepted the box. He gave a small bow, and the clerk did as well. The four turned and left the store, re-entering the chaos of the mall.

"She'll really be happy with that gift, Tenchi," Sasami reassured him.

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Yeah, I think she'll like it too. It just cost a lot more than I was expecting. Mall prices are always too high though."

"You could've been like me and stolen it, Tenchi," Ryoko cooed, poking him in the ribs. Tenchi laughed and took her by the hand.

"No, I couldn't do that. I don't like getting into trouble."

"You don't get into trouble if you don't get caught, Tenchi," she giggled. "I should know that better than anyone."

"And how could I have gotten away with this with the guy standing right there in front of us almost the whole time?"

Ryoko stopped and thought a moment. "Yeah, you're right. Oh well." Her stomach croaked lightly. "Oh boy, I guess I'm getting hungry."

"Well, we could get a light snack if you want. It is almost dinner time, and dad should be here in a little while to pick us up."

"A light snack will do just fine," Ryoko answered. She looked around and sniffed the air, catching a hint of pastries wafting through the mall. "Mmmm," she moaned softly. "Cinnamon rolls."

She started walking toward the scent as the other three followed closely behind. Eventually they all came to a rather large bakery, which had dozens upon dozens of various pastries laid out on display. Chocolate-chip cookies were in the glass cases along with jelly filled doughnuts, cinnamon buns, baked pretzels, even loaves of freshly baked bread.

"Wow! Yum!" Ryoko walked up to the counter, trying to decide what she wanted. Ryo-Ohki came up next to her and pointed at something, meowing.

"What do you want?" she glanced down at her spaceship and then to what she was pointing at. "Carrot cake? I don't think you'll like that."

Ryo-Ohki stubbornly insisted that she wanted it.

"I'll get it for you," Sasami said, coming up from behind. "I think I want to try some of that too."

Tenchi then came up to the case and browsed for something that would tide him over for a little while, but not spoil his dinner. "Hmmm… I think I'm going to have… that," he said, pointing to a small box that was filled with various flavors of doughnut holes.

A clerk took all their orders and handed them their pastries, and the foursome took a seat at one of the nearby tables. Ryoko got cinnamon sticky buns, Ryo-Ohki and Sasami both got carrot cake, and Tenchi had his doughnut holes.

"Be right back," Tenchi got back up from his seat. "Do any of you want something to drink? Pastries always dry me out if I don't have something to wash them down with."

"What do they have?" Sasami asked.

"They've got pop, water, juice, probably coffee, and tea."

"I'll have orange juice," Sasami asked. "Please?"

"I want some tea, Tenchi." Ryoko smiled up at him.

"Well, okay. What about you, Ryo-Ohki? Do you want pop?"

She shook her head.

"Tea?"

She shook her head again.

"Water?"

She meowed disappointment and shook her head yet again.

"Juice?"

She nodded and meowed.

"Well, what flavor? They've got Orange…"

She shook her head.

"I think she wants carrot juice," Sasami said. Ryo-Ohki nodded enthusiastically.

"They don't have carrot juice, unfortunately. Sorry, Ryo-Ohki. Do you have a second choice? How about just plain old water?"

The spaceship's expression became downcast, but she nodded and meowed an affirmative.

"Okay, I'll get you water. I'll give you some carrots once we get home, okay?"

She immediately brightened back up and smiled, then began eating her cake.

Tenchi smiled and went to the counter, got the drinks, then returned. Ryoko smiled at him, as she licked off the frosting on her fingers, ignoring the napkins that were on the table. Suddenly she came up with a naughty idea, as she took another bite of her bun, making sure to get more frosting on her fingers. Then, after her index finger was sufficiently coated, she looked over at Tenchi, and let out a sultry, "Mmmm…" as she noisily sucked on her finger.

Tenchi glanced over at her, noticing what she was doing, but trying to keep himself under control.

"Ryoko," he whispered. "Don't do that here! Not in front of Sasami!" he begged.

Her eyes smiled as she continued to taunt and tease him. A little bit of frosting stuck just under her lower lip, and she deftly let her pink tongue slide out, cleaning off the frosting, once again letting out a long and seductive, "Mmmm…"

Tenchi found himself unable to look away, as Sasami and Ryo-Ohki started whispering to each other, giggling half the time.

Ryoko once again lifted her cinnamon bun to her lips and took another bite, getting more frosting on her face. She chewed slowly, and then swallowed, loudly enough to let Tenchi hear it. His head beaded with perspiration, despite the cool air. Once again Ryoko allowed her tongue to circle her lips, licking off the frosting that coated them, as her eyes continued to watch him, promising, pleading.

"I'm going to tell Aeka you're being perverted in front of me, Ryoko," Sasami giggled.

Suddenly remembering Sasami was sitting there with her, Ryoko blushed fiercely and so did Tenchi. "Okay, okay, you win," she sighed, smiling, never letting her gaze leave Tenchi's face. He breathed a sigh of relief.

Everybody finished his or her snacks a few minutes later, and Tenchi checked the time. "Well, we might as well head back to the fountain. Time sure flew while we were here."

"Boy, you weren't kidding!" Sasami looked at a clock that was on the wall. "It's past dinner time. I bet Father and Grandfather are starving."

"I wouldn't worry about it. Dad can cook, even though he's not a gourmet chef like you, Sasami," he said, smiling, and causing her to blush lightly. Everybody got up from the table and discarded their litter into a trashcan and walked back out into the mall, trying to avoid the growing crowd of people. It was a few minutes before five o'clock, and people were getting off of work and flocking to the mall to shop and cool off. Ryoko sprinted forward a few steps and latched onto Tenchi's arm, and Sasami took Tenchi's other hand. Ryo-Ohki meowed a protest and latched onto Sasami.

"Ahhh, to be surrounded with two beautiful ladies," Tenchi said, drawing Ryoko a little closer and squeezing Sasami's hand. "This is bliss." He looked at both girls and they at him, then all four of them started laughing.

"Tenchi, you're being spoiled," Ryoko teased, as she walked along side him. "Maybe I should walk with Ryo-Ohki instead."

Chuckling, Tenchi shook his head. "Maybe it's you who is being teased, Ryoko. Maybe I should walk between Sasami and Ryo-Ohki."

Ryoko grinned, in such a fashion to show the tips of her fangs. "You're going to force me to humble you again, Tenchi," she said, seductively, as she started making little cooing noises and giggling while she nudged up against him.

"Okay, okay, you made your point," he chuckled.

They made their way to the fountain they originally split up at, and took a seat on a nearby bench to wait for Russ, Aeka, and Washu. They didn't wait long, though. Aeka was walking next to Russ, both of them eyeballing each other here and there, and Washu walked on the other side of him. All three of them had a bag of goodies in their hand.

"So," Tenchi said, as they made their way to the bench. "You guys find everything you wanted?"

"Yeah, pretty much," Russ answered. "These girls are torture. Do you have any idea how many different pairs of clothes they made me put on? I lost count!" Both Tenchi and Russ started laughing.

"Well, at least I'm not the only victim of dress-up today," Tenchi laughed. "Ryoko loves doing that to me whenever we go to the mall."

"Aeka here has good taste in clothes, but man, she's picky! I tried on FIVE different clothing combinations before she settled on one that she liked."

"I just wanted you to look good," she snapped, glaring at him. "There's no reason for you to look like a barbarian in public."

"I am not a barbarian! I'm just as civilized as you are," he said, sticking out his tongue and giving her a raspberry. Her face went to surprise, and then she glared at him, balling up both her fists and growling at him.

"Well you should have better taste in clothes!"

"My tastes are none of your business, Miss Prissy Pants," he shot back. "I didn't see you trying on anything."

"I have enough clothes, thank you," she retorted. "You just came in with a little duffel bag and nothing else!"

"So what! I don't need fifty million shirts and shorts. As long as I've got enough to rotate them out to the washing machine I'm fine. I don't care about clothes. Sheesh. Lighten up."

"No! You need some variety, rather than just wearing your karate gi in different colors. I liked what I picked out for you."

"I don't care! I like my clothes, and I didn't need any others, especially the ones you picked out!"

"Fine! Live like a big, dumb barbarian!"

"Oh, shut up! I told you my preferences are my own! You can wear a toga for all I care!"

Everybody perspired as they watched the two bicker back and forth.

"So, Washu," Tenchi said discretely, trying to stay out of the verbal war between Russ and Aeka. "Have they been doing this the whole time?"

"Not really. Whenever they disagree it usually winds up like this. Aeka isn't used to being refused something, or disagreed with." She continued to watch them, as Russ kept on making teasing gestures. "I think it's rather cute." She started giggling.

Tenchi shook his head and grinned. "Well, we got Aeka something really nice. But anyway, did Russ get her anything?"

"I think so. He was looking at a few movies that he wanted to see, but he wasn't going to get them. Aeka noticed it and she tried convincing him to get the movies, which he refused, and then she went and bought them instead of the tapes that she picked out. Without her knowing, Russ bought the two tapes she was looking at originally. It's rather sweet of him, even though he's currently acting like a six year old," she whispered, still keeping an eye on both of them. Fortunately they weren't shouting at each other or flinging energy balls around.

"Do the world a favor and put a sock in it, you bitch!" Russ snarled at Aeka.

"What?! How dare you speak to me like that, you ruffian!" she returned.

Ryoko resisted the urge to explode laughing, as she remembered the arguments she used to have with Aeka. They were a lot of fun, and she also got the feeling that Aeka enjoyed them too. It was a wonderful way to let off steam in a non-violent way, however, between herself and Aeka, it usually turned into a brawl. But so far, he seemed to be keeping better control over himself in comparison to the way she used to behave. However, it was still amusing to watch and remember. Like the time she had tied up Tenchi and pulled him into Washu's cave, then tried to seduce him for the first time which didn't work, because of Aeka. The fight that ensued was a lot of fun, and after it, Washu was released from her prison, who joined the family. Ahhh, those were the times.

Sasami was about to interrupt the two, but Ryoko stopped her. "Just let them fight. Aeka needs this. It's been such a long time since she's been able to vent her frustrations," Ryoko whispered to the little princess.

She reluctantly nodded and continued to watch them, with perspiration beading on her forehead.

"Don't you tell me what I should do, you jerk!" Aeka nearly shouted.

"So what gives you the right to do that to me?!" he yelled, matching Aeka's fury and volume.

A large spark arced between their eyes.

"I think it's time to make our exit. Dad should be here any minute," Tenchi said to Washu, Ryoko, Sasami, and Ryo-Ohki. He turned his attention back to Russ and Aeka, who looked about ready to murder each other. "Hey guys, it's time to go. Can you do this later?"

Both Russ and Aeka ignored him and continued to stare each other down, seething with rage. Suddenly, Russ straightened up, and once again stuck out his tongue, giving Aeka yet another raspberry. "I've had enough of this for now. It's time to go. After you, Little Prissy Princess," he smirked, continuing his taunting.

She turned her nose up at him, letting out a "Humph!" and making her way toward the door, just as Nobuyuki's van pulled up to the entrance.

"Perfect timing! Let's go, everybody," Tenchi announced, as he made his way outside into the sweltering heat again. "Ugh. I hope it cools off a lot tonight. This heat sucks."

"You got that right, Tenchi," Ryoko said, as she held onto his arm, letting him guide her out of the mall and into the van. Russ got in first, followed by Aeka, who rode shotgun, Ryoko, Sasami, Ryo-Ohki, and then Tenchi.

"So, did you kids have a good time?" Nobuyuki asked as he pulled away from the door.

"Yeah. We got everything we came for," Tenchi said, patting the bags he carried with him.

"That's good. Anyway, your grandfather and myself already ate, so you guys can either make your own dinner, or I can quickly take you guys to a fast food joint so you guys can grab something to eat there."

"Just take us home. No fast food place can match Sasami's cooking," Ryoko declared, while grinning toward her.

"Okay, home it is then!" Nobuyuki turned on the stereo and set it to an oldies station, causing Russ to cringe.

"Oh great, one of the only genres of music I never cared for," he quietly grumbled to himself, but not quietly enough. Aeka shot him a look and he returned it with a glare of his own, then they both looked out the windows. "Little Prissy Princess," he thought to himself, and then snickered.

Fortunately for them, the trip home was uneventful, aside from the occasional glare between Russ and Aeka. Nobuyuki made good time getting home, even though it was now rush hour. He pulled into the driveway about twenty minutes after leaving the mall, and shut off the van. Everybody piled out, and went into the house to put their bags into their rooms and hang up the clothes they had bought. Russ pulled Aeka's two tapes out of his bag and took them downstairs, and set them on top of the TV, then went outside.

Washu was going to return to her lab, and she told everybody that she didn't want to be disturbed.

Aeka pulled out the two videos she had bought for Russ, and tossed them onto her bed, glaring at them. Sasami walked into the room a moment later.

"What's wrong, Aeka?" she said, concerned.

"Oooh, that Russ. He's so thick headed! Did you hear those names he was calling me!? I'm the First Princess of Jurai! I deserve more respect than that!" She started shaking with anger again.

"Well, you were insulting him too, you know," she said, smiling.

"Yeah, well, he started it," she said, but her resolve and anger almost melted completely away, and she sighed. "That did feel good though. I haven't fought like that in a long time. I almost missed it." She was now smiling, and she patted her sister on the head. "Well, what did you get, Sasami?"

She held up a couple of new dresses. "I got these, and I also got some shorts, and t-shirts. I got Ryo-Ohki a couple of new dresses too."

"That's nice, Sasami," she responded, looking at the various items she produced out of the many bags.

"What about you, Aeka? Did you get anything?"

She slight frown creased her expression. "I got these two videos for Russ, and this one for me," she said, holding up the tapes.

Sasami took a closer look at both videos. "Are those animated? They look really neat!"

"Yeah, well, I shouldn't have gotten them, not after the way he treated me."

"You keep forgetting that you were doing it too, Aeka," she frowned. "Well, go put those on the TV or something and I'll make us dinner.

"Okay, I'll help you with that. I'm hungry too," she said as her stomach rumbled lightly. "Oh my." She blushed, then left the room and went downstairs, and Sasami followed. As she approached the TV, she saw a couple videos already sitting on top of it. Taking a closer look, she realized it was the two movies she was looking at originally. She became surprised, and she looked around the room, but nobody was in it, so then she looked outside and saw Russ near the lake, as his ki exploded around him in a green fireball. She watched him with interest, as he brought both his hands out in front of him. Suddenly, he began firing ki blasts into the air at a very high rate of speed, alternating from hand to hand, and then quickly using both hands at the same time. A moment later, he threw a couple of yellow discs into the air and started firing more ki balls after it, resembling a machine gun. "Barbarian," she said to herself, and then started giggling as she watched him train.

Tenchi and Ryoko both went to their room, and emptied their bags onto the bed. Tenchi had a much larger pile than Ryoko did, as he made his way over to the closet to get a mass of hangers.

"You sure made me get enough stuff, Ryoko. I think I went a little overboard," he said, looking flustered.

She giggled and hugged him. "It all looks good on you, Tenchi. At least I'm not as bad as Aeka when it comes to what style you wear."

Tenchi kissed her on the cheek. "Yeah, that's true. Poor Russ," he said, making both of them start laughing. "What was the deal with him, anyway? He was fighting with her like you used to."

"I know. It's been so long since we've had a fight, that I think she missed it. We really didn't have anything to fight over anymore, except when she pesters me about doing house chores. I think she needed that."

"You think so?" he asked, thoughtfully. "Well, as long as they don't blow up the house like you two nearly did on several occasions, I guess it's alright."

"Tenchiiiiii! I can blow up the house even without her," she grinned wickedly, as she pushed Tenchi onto the bed, kissing him.

"Whoa," he yelled, then started laughing. "Come on Ryoko! Let's put this stuff away," he said in between laughs and kisses. She giggled and continued kissing him, as her tail swished back and forth in excitement. "Ryoko! Come on now, I'm going to get mad," he tried to say though his laughing. He made an attempt to sit up but she pushed him back down, making little cooing noises.

"I…" she kissed him. "Don't…" she kissed him again. "Care…" she purred, as she continued kissing him. Tenchi wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, giving her one of his own crushing embraces.

"Now Ryoko, we have to put this stuff away, and Sasami is making dinner," he said, as she continued to grope and paw at him.

"So what," she moaned sensually, while she continued kissing him. "I'm not hungry anymore."

"Well, I am. Come on, Ryoko," he begged.

She stopped and lifted herself up with her hands on either side of Tenchi's head, her face tinged with hurt. "Don't you like that?"

"I didn't mean it that way," he said, quickly. "But we have other things to do, okay?"

"Wouldn't you rather do this, instead?" she said, her voice pleading.

Tenchi grinned. "I've never done it before. But we have other things to do first."

"I've never done it either," she said, causing Tenchi to widen his eyes in total bewilderment. "What, you think I used to sleep around?" Her expression became even more hurt.

He shook his head. "I'm sorry. I should've known better."

"When you're an A1 class criminal, you don't get attached to anybody. Not even for a one-night fling. Besides, I was never interested in guys until I met you, Tenchi. Being a criminal was fulfilling enough."

He smiled, and then pulled her down, kissing her. "I'm sorry, Ryoko. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I'm just a little timid." He frowned and thought a moment. "Really timid about this kind of thing. It's all new to me."

"I'll have to fix that," she smiled, getting up off of him, and hauling him up to a sitting position.

He breathed a sigh of relief. "Let's get this stuff put away and go get some dinner," he said, as his room started flashing with colored light. Both he and Ryoko looked toward the window in shock. "What the heck was that?"

They both ran to the window and watched Russ rapidly shoot hundreds of various colored ki balls and discs into space. "What is he doing?" Ryoko asked.

"He's probably training again. It's amazing how he can do that."

"Well don't forget," she said, poking him, "that I can do that too." His room filled with orange light has her sword flashed into existence. She waved it around casually, and then let it vanish as suddenly as it appeared.

Almost at that same moment, Russ stopped firing ki balls. He held out his hand, as a small, green ball of energy formed in his palm, and he squeezed. The ball quickly deformed and exploded, shrouding him in a cloud of smoke. He tried again five more times, and all five attempts to form a sword of his own blew up in his face. He stomped his foot in frustration and restarted firing ki blasts into the atmosphere, as Ryoko and Tenchi watched from their bedroom window.

Ryoko giggled. "I guess he still can't form a sword."

"I can't either. I have to use Sword Tenchi in order for me to use an energy sword, unless I call upon the lighthawk sword. I wonder how the lighthawk wings would stand up against him?"

"Who knows? I'd rather not have to find out," Ryoko said, worry in her voice.

"Yeah, but what about that Zorpheus guy he told us about? From what Russ says about him, he is as strong as he is. What happens if Zorpheus defeats him? None of us can beat either of them right now. I want to be able to protect you guys from whatever wants to bring harm to us."

Ryoko looked into his eyes and seeing nothing but serenity. "Tenchi, that's so sweet. My own treasure defending his captor," she said, kidding him on the cheek. "But it should be the other way around. The pirate is supposed to defend her treasure."

"No, I would never have it that way," he said, looking her in the eyes.

"Tenchi, listen to me. You're the single most important thing to me. If something should ever happen to you, I'd die, because I'd have nothing left to live for."

Tenchi's eyes went wide in shock. "Ryoko, don't talk like that. It's morbid," he said, pulling her close and sitting back down on the bed. "You are the single, most important thing to me."

"But it's different for me, Tenchi. You are the only thing I've got, and you're the only person who ever truly cared about me. Likewise, if something were to happen to me, you'd be the only one who would care. You're my life, Tenchi," she said, almost on the brink of tears. "You're everything to me. The rest of the universe could cease to exist, but as long as I have you, I could live with it. I'd destroy everything, just to be with you. And I'd follow you into death, as well. I could never bear the thought of losing you."

Tenchi hugged her tightly. "Ryoko… I'm not just the only person who would care. Everybody here would miss you in his or her own way." He hugged her tightly. "I don't think you'll ever lose me, or will it ever come to that. I'll make sure of it, and Russ would, too. As you know, good always triumphs over evil."

Ryoko looked up at him and smirked, as a tear fell from her eye. "So you think." She kissed him. "Remember that I was the evil space pirate for a long time, and nobody stopped me."

"Oh? And what am I? Chopped liver?" He started chuckling.

She thought a moment. "You're right. You are the only one to ever stop me." She hugged and kissed him again, and he did the same.

"Come on, Ryoko," he whispered into her hear, his voice almost inaudible. "Lets get this stuff put away and go get some dinner."

She nodded and got up off the bed, as they both sorted out their clothes and put everything away, until the house started shaking. "Now what is Russ doing," Ryoko said, irritated. She went to the window and looked outside, but he was just standing there, looking up into the sky. Tenchi looked up in the same direction he was, and saw something coming out of the atmosphere.

"I think Kiyone and Mihoshi are home," Tenchi said. He quickly hung up the rest of the stuff and left the room, and Ryoko followed. They both went outside and joined Russ, as a large vessel neared the house. Aeka poked her head out of the kitchen, catching a glimpse of Ryoko and Tenchi as they ran outside. A few moments later, a large, red ship landed in their backyard.

Kiyone and Mihoshi both exited the ship and walked over. "Hi guys! We got a new ship!" Kiyone said, gesturing to the massive hulk sitting behind her. "It's a newer Yagami class vessel. It's a lot better and more comfortable than that dinky patrol shuttle we were forced to use."

"Congratulations! It looks really nice," Tenchi said, walking over to Kiyone.

"Yeah! Galaxy Police headquarters had handed these things out to just about everybody, but we were one of the last to get one," Mihoshi pouted. "You'd think they'd give them to everybody at once."

"Yeah, it would've been nice to have one of these things when they started producing them, but oh well. We have one now and we shouldn't complain." She turned back toward everybody. "Well, anyway, what about dinner? I'm starving!"

"Yeah, me too. All we have on board are these cardboard ration bars because we can't afford…" Mihoshi had a hand over her mouth.

"Shut up, Mihoshi!" Kiyone looked at everybody and let out a nervous laugh. "What about that dinner?" she asked again.

"Sasami should be just about finished with it. Let's go see," Russ said, making his way back to the house. Everybody followed suit and went inside. Sasami was putting the last of the dishes on the table.

"Oh, you're all just in time for dinner!" Sasami beamed as they all took a seat. "I hope everybody's hungry! I know I sure am!"

"Yum!" Russ was almost drooling over himself. Aeka giggled lightly, noticing him. "All this stuff looks so good! But I better wait until all of you are done eating, and then I'll eat the leftovers."

"Nonsense. You sit there and eat with us," Aeka told him, pulling him down to a seat next to her.

He quietly growled to himself and sat down. "Being ordered around by a woman! What's next?!?!" he thought to himself. "Whatever." He said, aloud, picking up a plate and filling it with food.

Dinner had past without incident, except for Ryoko's subtle flirting with Tenchi, and the occasional glare between Russ and Aeka. Once the table was cleared off, everybody went off to do various evening activities. Kiyone and Mihoshi went back to their ship to set it up the way they wanted it. Russ sat down at the organ, plugged in the headphones once again, and began to create the little theme he promised Sasami, randomly hitting a few keys, until something sparked his imagination. He hit the record button on the computer and began playing. Sasami and Ryo-Ohki sat in front of the TV, playing a video game. Aeka had gone off for a walk in the forest, with the sun setting in the distance, and the temperature dropping steadily, but slowly. Many large clouds lingered in the sky. Ryoko and Tenchi went to their room and retrieved the present for Aeka, and noticed that she was walking off toward the forest. They quickly left the house and caught up with her.

"Aeka! Hold on a minute," Tenchi called, as he jogged over to her, with Ryoko floating by his side. "Wait up!"

Aeka slowed down her pace and allowed them to catch up. "Yes Tenchi? What is it? Is something wrong?" she asked, looking worried. She stopped and faced them.

He shook his head. "No, nothing is wrong. At least, not at the house." He produced a small box from behind his back. "Aeka, Ryoko and myself noticed you seem to be a little depressed lately, so we bought you a little gift, from both of us, in hopes that it would make you feel a little better."

Tenchi thought about his words and how much he wished they could've expressed the true depth of the feelings that he had, and how much he valued their friendship. He wished he could've presented his words and the gift with much more grace, but he was never really good at doing this sort of thing. He watched Aeka's expression go from worry to mild shock, and he grinned in response. Ryoko also smiled.

"This is for you, Aeka, from both Tenchi and myself. I hope you like it," Ryoko said, as Tenchi handed over the box.

"You shouldn't have," she whispered, accepting the box as graciously as she could. She gave a small bow, and Tenchi and Ryoko did too. She removed the box top, revealing the glittering gold necklace, and the shiny amethyst stone on the pendant. She gasped, placing a hand over her mouth as she did, and a few tears started streaming down her face. "It's… beautiful," she said, choking back a sob.

"This isn't quite the reaction we were hoping for," Ryoko whispered to Tenchi, but Aeka overheard it.

"No, no… it's wonderful," she said, lifting the gold out of the box and letting it hang from her hand, watching the small bird swing back and forth, catching the dim sunlight and glittering with radiance. She admired the jewelry for a few moments, and then put it back inside the box, sliding it into her kimono. She grabbed Tenchi in a crushing hug, sobbing quietly on his shoulder. "Thank you, Tenchi," she cried, squeezing him a little tighter, and then letting him go. She looked up at Ryoko, moved over to her, and gave her a hug too. "Thank you too, Ryoko. You guys mean so much to me."

"You're welcome, Aeka," Ryoko said, holding the princess in a firm grasp. "It's the least we could do, to let you know we still care very much about you and your feelings."

"Aeka, we did it because we still care about you and love you. We don't want to see you depressed anymore, so we had to try to make you happy again."

Aeka sniffled and let go of Ryoko, and took a step back, pulling out the necklace again and looking at it.

"The bird is a phoenix," Tenchi explained. "It means a sign of unsurpassed beauty. We thought it would be the perfect gift and meaning to give to you."

Aeka looked up, stunned at both Tenchi and Ryoko, and her tears began anew. She grabbed Tenchi in another hug, nearly crushing the life out of him. He returned her embrace, and gave her a little kiss on the cheek. "We will always love you, Aeka. You're the greatest friend I've ever had."

Ryoko swallowed a lump in her throat. "That goes for me too, Aeka," she said, quietly.

Aeka had never felt so moved by people, in her entire life. Before she had crash-landed on Earth, she had attended many marriage meetings, trying to find a suitable husband, besides Yosho, that would strengthen her home. It was not her place to choose a husband out of her own feelings, because it was considered very selfish. The men she had met at those meetings had always presented her with gifts, ranging anywhere from the galaxy's finest silk to the most extravagant jewels that could be found. However, all of those meetings seemed so… false. Everything was carefully planned out, as if they were following a script, and not their hearts.

The simple gold necklace that Ryoko and Tenchi presented to her was nothing in comparison with the priceless jewelry she was presented with during those marriage meetings, but the meaning behind the gift was worth more to her than all the gold and jewels in the entire universe. She continued to clench the small bird in her hand, with the shining amethyst gem that matched her eyes perfectly, and she really cherished the meaning behind all of it. It was a feeling that words cannot describe, and it was the most beautiful, wonderful, most fulfilling emotion she has ever felt.

Her tears began once more, slowly trickling down her face. "Thank you, Tenchi, and Ryoko, for the gift. What you have given me is almost worth more than anything I've ever gotten before, and I'll treasure it, always."

"It didn't cost that much," Tenchi said, holding her and gently scratching her back.

"No," she sniffled. "The meaning behind it all is the most valuable gift you have given me. I… don't know how to repay you."

"We didn't give this to you expecting to be repaid. We gave it to you because… because we care about you, and we wanted to let you know that we still care about you. All we want is your continued friendship, and nothing more," Tenchi told her, giving her a reassuring squeeze, then letting her go.

She let out a heavy sigh, and dried her eyes with the sleeve of her kimono, then smiled. She held up the chain once more, looking at the glittering amethyst as it caught the remaining rays of sunlight before the sun disappeared behind the shrine.

"Hey Sasami?"

"What is it, Russ?" she asked, moving next to him.

He looked over at the karaoke machine. "Do you like to sing?"  
She smiled. "Yeah, just about everybody here does. Ryoko, Aeka, Washu, Kiyone, Mihoshi, and myself all have sang songs before. Why do you ask?"

"Well, I finished your theme, but it's kind of short. I was just curious if you'd like to sing something. I have another piece floating around in my head, and I wanted to know if you would sing it."

Her eyes went wide as she gasped, and gave one of the cutest smiles Russ had ever seen. "Yes! I'd love to!"

Smiling, Russ patted her on the head. "I'll write up the lyrics tonight, and I should have the song ready by tomorrow."

"I can't wait!" She bounced lightly on her heels as Ryo-Ohki meowed her enthusiasm on top of her head.

Russ chuckled. "Ryo-Ohki, you're so cute," he said, scratching around her long, floppy ears. "I'm surprised I haven't sneezed that much around here. I wonder if I'm finally able to cope with my allergies." He tried breathing through his nose, but snorted. "Well, at least I'm not sneezing."

Sasami giggled. "Can I hear my song now?"

"Oh yeah! I almost forgot about that. I saved it to this disk here, so you can play it back whenever you want. But anyway, I hope you like this. I haven't really decided what to call it. 'Happy Sasami', 'Sasami Kawaii', and 'Cute Sasami' all seem to fit this. But anyway, here it is." He pulled the plug to the headphones, hit the play and record buttons on the computer, turned up the volume, while the sound of drums started playing through the speakers, along with other various instruments. The song progressed, and Russ began playing the main instruments. He used a xylophone on the lower keyboard, and some other instrument on the upper keyboard while he played along with the rhythm, keeping perfect time.

Tenchi, Ryoko, and Aeka were just outside the door, out of sight, as they all sat on the porch. They all heard the music coming from the living room, and stopped talking to listen. As the song progressed, Tenchi thought about the very first time he met Sasami, when she arrived to pick up her sister. He was looking up toward the sky, and noticed a white vapor trail forming behind what he originally thought to be a jet, until it started darting all over the place, making circular patterns. Backing up from the shock, he tripped over a tree root and fell over, and then heard someone giggling at him from behind. He rolled over and looked up, and that was the very first time he saw Sasami. He snickered to himself, remembering how silly he must've looked.

Russ finished the song about a minute and a half later, faded the music out, and hit the stop button on the MIDI computer. He turned toward the little princess. "So, does it get the Sasami seal of approval?" he asked, smiling.

She nodded. "Thank you! That was so nice of you to do that for me."

"It's your own personal theme. You can play it back whenever you want. Just pop the disk into the organ and load up the song, and hit the play button. The whole song is complete, so I don't have to sit here and play any extra instruments. But now, I'm going to work on another song, and this one will probably take me a lot longer to complete than the one I just did. It will have a lot more instruments, and it will be kind of like a rock song. I think you'll like it."

Sasami gave him a little hug. "I'm sure I will. And I get to sing along with this song?"

Russ nodded, and Sasami clasped her hands together in excitement. Ryo-Ohki started meowing like crazy, then jumped off of Sasami's head onto the bench, next to Russ. She looked up at him and started meowing even more.

"What do you want, Ryo-Ohki?"

She meowed a few more times and nodded her head toward the organ.

Russ watched her, perspiration forming on his brow. "Do you want to play the organ?"

She shook her head and meowed a few more times, nudging him then nodding toward the organ again.

"I think she wants you to make her a theme too," Sasami said, reading the cabbit's thoughts almost as if she were telepathically connected with it, as Ryoko was. Ryo-Ohki meowed an agreement and nodded her head.

"So you want a theme as well, eh? Well, I guess I can do that for you, you cute little thing," he chuckled, scratching on top of her head. He sighed. "Well, I'm going to do this new song, starting right now. I've actually got it all planned out in my mind, and all I've got to do is put it into the organ," he said, excitedly. He plugged the headphones back in. "I'll be doing this for a while, Sasami, so don't disturb me. Actually, even if you did, I probably wouldn't notice!" Laughing, he put the headphones back on, changed the instruments, hit the record button on the computer, and silently began playing.

Ryo-Ohki jumped off the bench and resumed her perch on top of Sasami's head, as she went outside, trying to escape some of the heat from inside the house. She stopped as soon as she exited the door, seeing Aeka, Tenchi, and Ryoko, all sitting on the porch, quietly conversing with each other.

"What are all of you doing out here? It's getting dark, and it looks like it's going to rain," she said, pointing to the many clouds that were now blanketing the darkening sky. Walking over to the group, she noticed that Aeka's cheeks were stained with tears. "What happened, Aeka?"

She looked up at her younger sister. "Nothing, Sasami. They just gave me the most perfect gift I could have ever gotten from anybody."

Letting out a huge sigh of relief, she smiled. "So you liked the pretty necklace that Ryoko and Tenchi picked out for you?"

"Yes." She held it up by the chain for Sasami to see. Looking at it for a long minute, she lowered her hand and smiled at her two very best and closest friends.

"Aren't you going to put it on, Aeka? It would be rude not to."

"Oh my gosh, I never even thought of it. I've just been admiring it this whole time," she giggled, then unfastened the chain and redid it behind her neck, and allowing it to drape over her kimono. She thought a moment, and then put it under her clothing.

"Why did you do that?" Tenchi asked.

"Now, it's closest to my heart, as you two are," she told them. "I'll never take it off. Never."

"That's so sweet, sis," Sasami said, giving Aeka a hug, then Tenchi, and then Ryoko. "I'm so glad everybody is happy again."

"Me too, Sasami," Aeka responded, smiling warmly. "I'm so glad to have friends like I do here."

"I second that," Ryoko added.

"I agree as well," Tenchi said.

"And I agree with you guys!" Sasami giggled. A few moments of silence passed. "So, now what do we do?"

"We could watch one of the movies I bought today," Aeka suggested.

"Good idea! What did you get, Aeka?" Ryoko asked, her tail twitching lightly.

"I got 'Gone With the Wind', a movie called 'Titanic', and another movie, that I just forgot the name to," she laughed. "I bought Russ a couple movies too. One of them is called 'Blue Planet', which looks like an action movie, and the other one is called 'Titan A.E.', which looks like an action or adventure movie."

"That's a lot of choices. What do you girls want to see?" Tenchi said, looking back and forth between Aeka and Ryoko.

"I think I want to see Titan A.E. It sounds cool," Ryoko suggested.

"I was thinking about Titanic, myself," Aeka added.

"Blue Planet sounds really neat," Tenchi recommended.

All three of them looked at each other in surprise and laughed, then looked at Sasami. "You pick one of the three movies we want to see," Aeka demanded. "I don't care which one."

"Why don't you play Rock, Paper, Scissors?" Sasami asked.

Again, the three looked surprised, but obliged. All three of them balled up their fist, and shook it three times. Aeka got paper, both Ryoko and Tenchi got scissors.

"You're out, Aeka!" Sasami giggled and Aeka frowned. "Now for the tiebreaker!"

Tenchi and Ryoko stared each other down as they balled up their fists again, and shook them three times. They both picked scissors again. Raising an eyebrow, Tenchi balled up his fist again, and Ryoko did the same. They shook their fists three times, and this time Ryoko picked paper, and Tenchi picked rock.

"Yay! We're going to see Titan A.E.! I'll go make some popcorn!" Sasami ran inside the house, leaving Ryoko grinning from ear to ear at Tenchi and Aeka.

"Well, you win. It should be a good movie though, from what I hear," Tenchi stated, looking over at Ryoko. "Shall we go inside?"

"Of course. We can't see it sitting out here," Ryoko grinned, the sarcasm tainting her usually sweet voice.

"Ha, ha. Glad to see your normal sense of humor has returned," Aeka snickered. Ryoko continued to grin while she stood up. Aeka and Tenchi both got to their feet, and they all went into the house together, and sat down at the couch. A few minutes later, Sasami walked in, carrying a large bowl of buttered popcorn.

Aeka looked over at Russ, while he continued to play his latest piece. "What's he doing now?"

"Russ is making another song that I can sing to," Sasami smiled. "He said it was like a rock song, whatever that is."

"Oh? Well, we'll all have to hear it when he finishes. I wonder if he'd be able to play something that I've got."

Ryoko and Tenchi both looked at her. "What do you mean, Princess?" Ryoko asked.

"Well, it's not really a song. Just lyrics. It doesn't even have a title. I had written it a while ago, but never made any music to go with it."

"Give it to Russ. I'm sure he could come up with something. So far, he's done some pretty amazing stuff," Tenchi suggested, gesturing to him, who had his back turned, and was rocking back and forth in rhythm to the music. The thumping of the keys was rather noisy, and they could faintly hear the instruments coming through the headphones.

"He sure plays that loud," Ryoko mentioned. "I can actually hear it."

"Me too. Oh well. Sasami? Would you do the honors and start the movie, please?" Tenchi asked, smiling.

"Sure thing!" She got up off the couch and went to the TV, pulling the cellophane wrapping off of the tape, and putting it in the VCR. She turned the TV on and picked up the remote, then returned to her seat on the couch. A few moments later, the opening previews came up on the screen, which Sasami fast-forwarded over. She hit the play button when the previews ended and the movie began. Turning up the sound a little more, drowning out the thumping of the keys on the organ. She slid up next to her sister and leaned against her, munching a few kernels of popcorn, as the opening credits came up on the screen and the music began to play.

A little over an hour and a half later, the ending credits to the movie began scrolling up the TV. Tenchi, Ryoko, Aeka, and Sasami all stood up and stretched, giving their bodies some much-needed movement. For the whole movie, they watch with unwavering interest, really engrossed in the action. Russ had stolen a couple glances over at them when he was switching instruments, but they were all watching the screen intently. Even Aeka, who wasn't into anything much except for soaps and chick flicks, watched it, hardly ever allowing her eyes to wander.

"Wow! That was an excellent movie!" Tenchi exclaimed. "I really enjoyed that."

"Yeah, I did too, even though it wasn't my style of movie," Aeka stated. "He has better taste in movies than I thought."

"That was really neat. It reminded me of outer space and the many battles I had fought with patrol craft and police officers," Ryoko said, eliciting a stare from Tenchi and Aeka. Sasami just giggled. "What… It's what I used to do. But anyway, that was a good movie. They had an interesting way of animating that."

"Yeah, I agree. That whole movie, except for the characters, was animated entirely using computers. I bet Washu would like this movie and the Blue Planet movie that we got."

"Maybe, maybe not." Aeka looked at the clock on the wall. "Well, I'm tired. I'm going to turn in for the night. Thank you for the wonderful gift, you two," she said, giving Tenchi a hug, and bowing to Ryoko. "See you in the morning."

"I'm going to turn in too," said the little princess. Ryo-Ohki meowed an agreement and yawned. "See everybody in the morning."

"Good night, Sasami, Aeka. Have a good night's sleep."

"I'm sure we will, Tenchi." She smiled as she floated up the stairs, exercising her new ability to fly. She lightly landed on the floor and looked down, seeing Ryoko's grin and showing one of her own. She disappeared into the hallway, on her way to the bedroom. Sasami followed a moment later.

"Well, Ryoko. We sure had a busy day, didn't we?"

"Yeah. It all worked out perfectly. You're so sweet and kind, Tenchi," she said, grabbing him in a kiss.

"Thanks," he said, after she let him go. "You are too. Well, anyway, are you ready for bed?"

"Yeah, let's turn in a little early tonight," she said, a little evil twinkle in her eye and grinning, showing the tips of her fangs. Her tail twitching increased as well. Tenchi noticed it and a little sweat beaded on his head.

"Ryoko… I hope you're not thinking what I think you're thinking."

"And what would that be, Tenchi dear?" she said, taking his arm and kissing him on the cheek.

He shook his head. "Never mind. Let's just go to bed." They walked upstairs to their bedroom, and went inside. Tenchi undressed himself, except for his boxer shorts, and slid into the bed, making sure to turn out the light. Ryoko shed all her clothes, and floated over him, phasing through the sheets like a phantom, pressing herself close to him. She wrapped her arms around him and squeezed, feeling the warmth of his body against hers, and then started kissing him on his face, slowly working her way down his neck.

"What are you doing, Ryoko?" he said, not objecting, but more out of curiosity.

"It's early to go to SLEEP, Tenchi," she purred seductively, kissing him on the lips.

He broke out in a cold sweat, looking over at her feline eyes, which were filled with hungry lust, as she continued to kiss him.

"I don't know if this is such a good idea, Ryoko. We're not married or anything."

"Not yet, Tenchi. But it's inevitable."

"But still…"

"Shhh, stop objecting. I've waited for over a year… a year and a half, to have you Tenchi, all to myself. I can't stand to wait any more." She whispered into his ear.

He fell silent, and contemplated the idea. He had the desire as well; since he had the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on, in bed next to him. Here was a woman who loved him, and wanted to be with him for the rest of her life. She was willing to die for him, and to die with him. Her love for him was downright obsessive and almost scary, but it was one of the most comforting feelings he had ever felt.

Resolving his conflict, he looked at Ryoko, who looked back at him with her golden, kitten eyes, pleading, and he smiled, kissing her on the lips and pulling her close. He ran his fingers through her soft, cyan hair and caressed her face, looking into her eyes with acceptance.

"Oooh, Tenchi," she moaned, kissing him once again, and squeezing him tightly. "Prepare to be plundered," she whispered. "You're all mine, tonight." She kissed his cheek. "And if you try to run away," she said, balling up her fist in front of his face, baring her fangs, "you're going to get it."

"I'm all yours, Ryoko. Always, and forever," he whispered.

They both lost something that night, besides a good night's sleep, and gained a whole lot more.

Aeka lay on her futon, feeling tired, but not able to fall asleep just yet. She reflected on the events that day, and how it turned out so well. Even her argument with Russ felt good. Feeling that he probably didn't mean anything that he said to her, made her feel even better. She reached up to her neck and fingered the gold phoenix that hung on the chain, sighed, and smiled. It was the absolute perfect gift anyone has ever given her. The meaning behind it was a landslide of emotion, and all of it was positive and good. She thought about both Tenchi and Ryoko and them being together, but now, it didn't seem so bad. They both still cared for her, deeply, and they showed that to her today.

"Aeka? Are you still awake?" Sasami whispered.

"Yeah," she quietly answered. "What is it?"

"How do you feel, right now?"

"I feel…" she thought a moment to describe how she really felt. "Wonderful. I feel so happy and fulfilled right now. I feel really, really good."

A soft sigh was heard from Sasami's futon. "I'm so glad everything worked out so well today."

"Yeah, you and me both, Sasami. Even fighting with that big, dumb barbarian called Russ was fun. I haven't done that in a very long time. It felt really good to release those pent up frustrations."

Sasami giggled. "You two were acting like a couple of kids my age, today. It was really funny to watch, but I was worried too. I'm glad you two didn't start blowing up the mall or anything."

"Sasami!" Aeka sat up and glared at her sister. "I would do no such thing."

"Oh yes you would." She giggled even harder. "Remember that time when we went to go visit Kiyone and Mihoshi at their first apartment? You and Ryoko got into a fight and nearly blew the place apart."

"Uhhh… That was a long time ago, Sasami. I've matured since then." She lay back down, staring up at the ceiling, her face flushed hot from embarrassment.

"Okay." Silence ensued for a few minutes. "Aeka?"

"Yes?"

"Can you tell me a bedtime story?"

"Yeah, I can do that for you." She thought a few moments, and then settled on one of her old favorites.

Sasami fell asleep before she finished the story, but she finished it anyway. She turned over in her bed, now lying on her side, touching the pendant once more before drifting off to sleep herself.

Mihoshi and Kiyone both came into the house through the sliding glass door. The only illumination that was provided was by the organ lamp that Russ had turned on, as he continued to work on the music he was composing. They were both tired out from working on their new patrol craft, but it had been worth it. All the controls were now configured to something Kiyone found very efficient, and Mihoshi was very happy to have a large TV in the crew quarters. They both checked over the entire ship and made certain that everything was in perfect, working order. The shields, weapons, propulsion system, and all essential systems were checked, and came out in perfect shape.

"Oh man, I'm beat. I'm glad we have tomorrow off too," Kiyone groaned as she trudged her way up the stairs to her room.

"I don't know why you're so tired, Kiyone!"

She turned and glared at her partner. "If you did something besides sleep the entire time, I wouldn't be as tired and you would be ready for bed! We could've been done in half the time if you moved your lazy butt!"

"Shhh! You'll wake everyone up!" Mihoshi hissed.

Kiyone's stern resolve melted away into drowsiness. "I'm going to bed. I'm beat."

"Yeah, I guess I should go to bed too." Mihoshi followed her partner into the bedroom and plopped herself down on her futon, not bothering to turn on a light. She quickly undressed and slid under the covers.

"Tomorrow, we should look for another apartment to move into. I'm tired of being a burden to the Masaki home," Kiyone muttered, as she slid under the sheets.

"I don't think we're that big of a burden. We're really not here all that much."

"But still… The thought of living off of someone drives me crazy. I feel like a teenager rather than a grown woman out on her own."

"That's silly, Kiyone. They offered to take us into their home."

"But it's not like me to take advantage of it for so long!" She yawned, stretching out and getting settled in. "Oh, we'll argue about this in the morning. I'm too tired right now."

"Okay. Good night, Kiyone."

"See you in the morning, Mihoshi."

Both Galaxy Police officers fell asleep only a few minutes later.

Russ had just finished creating the music for his new song. He stood up and stretched as his back, neck, and shoulders popped from being still for so long. Groaning softly, he sat down at the organ again, and played back the music once more, making sure it was flawless. Hitting a few keys, he saved his work onto a floppy disk, and turned off the organ and the lamp. Quietly floating up to his bedroom, he slid open the door and turned on the light, squinting from the sudden brightness. He sat down at the desk and pulled out a sheet of paper that was in one of the drawers, and a pencil, then began to write the lyrics that would go with his song. He would present them to Sasami tomorrow morning for her to learn and memorize.

"Tomorrow is going to be a fun day," he thought to himself. That is, until a rumble of thunder came in from the outside.

"Oh great. Rain. Oh well. At least it'll cool things off a bit," he muttered to himself as he got up and opened his window, letting the cooler air into his room. "I need a fan or something. It's too quiet in this house. I'll have to go to my ship tomorrow and get mine." He returned to the desk and sat down, humming the song to himself has he continued writing the lyrics down on the paper.

After a half hour, he dozed off, bonking his head on the desk and rousing him back out of slumber. He looked at the paper in front of him, and smiled, since he was now finished. He stood up and turned out the light to the room, discarded all of his clothes onto the floor except for his briefs, and plopped onto the bed, falling asleep almost instantly, as the sound of the soothing rain from the outside lulled him into a deep slumber.

Washu was in her lab, drawing up the plans for the new bathroom Aeka had asked for. After they had left the video store, she asked her if she'd make a bathroom inside the house, just for the girls. Aeka had said that it was inconvenient to walk outside to the onsen, just to take a bath. It was really inconvenient when it rained, because as soon as you got out of the place, you had to run back into the house, getting soaked the whole time. Washu had agreed, and set to work.

After a few hours planning, she had finished, and fell asleep just as she finished inputting the plans into her computer. Several cushions automatically appeared under her, catching her before she hit the floor, and allowed her a peaceful night's slumber. She fell asleep with a smile on her lips, dreaming of pleasant memories long ago, but not forgotten.


	9. Road Trip

Ep 9 – Road Trip

I'm Russell Piper, and what you're about to read is my first real attempt at a fanfiction. It's based around Tenchi Universe (Tenchi TV) and the OVA so most of the main characters you've seen from there will appear here as well. It also crosses a bit with Dragonball Z with the existence of Dragonballs and immensely powerful warriors. Ryoko and Tenchi had finally chosen to be together, and Aeka is still living at the house for now. You'll see when it happens. Anyway, I'll stop flapping my yap and let you get right to the story. Enjoy! Send all hate mail / fan mail to .

Rain. It is the lifeblood of the Earth. It's the one thing that sustains every living organism that exists on this blue planet. Without it, things could not survive, and the planet would become a barren wasteland, with its only value being the minerals that exist below the Earth's surface.

It was currently raining outside of the Masaki home in a gentle shower, replenishing the ground with water and giving the plants and animals a much-needed drink. It also managed to cool the outdoor temperature down to a pleasant sixty-five degrees, making it feel very comfortable, and bringing needed relief from the freak weather of the previous day. Usually accompanying a rainfall, a feeling of sadness or depression dampens a person's spirits for the day. This was not the case for the Masaki household.

Stirring slightly from her night of blissful slumber, Ryoko snuggled a little closer to Tenchi, resting her head on his chest, and listening to the soft beating of his heart. This heart beats for her, now and forever. It was more soothing than whatever emotion she had ever felt in her entire life, and it was one thing that she was never going to let go of, or have taken away from her. Her destiny lay with him and to always be with him. The love she has for him is total and absolute, no matter what circumstance presents itself. It was the one thing that had made her truly happy, and it was now hers. All hers.

When Ryoko had moved, she gently woke Tenchi out of his sleep. He opened his eyes slowly, trying to become accustomed to the dim light that filtered through his bedroom window and the skylight above his bed. Slowly bringing his mind and eyes into focus, he looked down toward the warm feeling on his chest, where Ryoko laid her head, with her arms wrapped around him. He smiled to himself and thought about the previous night, and how he had finally allowed his true feelings for her to unlock themselves from his heart and pour forth, like a raging river through a canyon. It was a night that he'd never forget, and it was one that he wanted to cherish forever.

He thought about the many times she had expressed her love for him, but he was too afraid to return it. He had loved Ryoko for a long time, but he didn't know when he first started to. It was just too impossible to tell when he began to feel how he did toward her. But it didn't really matter anymore. She was here, now, with him, quietly dozing, as he listened to her soft, rhythmic breathing.

Tenchi's smile increased in size, as he took in a deep breath and let out a quiet yawn. Ryoko moaned very softly. He reached down, being very careful and gentle, he ran his fingers through her cyan hair, enjoying the feel of its softness. He reached up and did it again, as a very soft rumble started to come from her. He grinned and felt very contented, and a little amused that she was quietly purring beside him.

Trying to increase the intensity of her soft rumble, he continued to pet her, now running his hand down her back, gently scratching around her shoulder blades. As expected, her rumbling increased in volume and intensity, as she took in a deep breath. Her kitten eyes opened themselves slowly, as she stretched herself out and let out a light yawn. Her gaze wandered up Tenchi's chest, and finally locked into his eyes, filled with love, contentedness, and happiness. She smiled, ever so sweetly, as she carefully moved herself up to Tenchi's shoulder, and kissed him on the lips.

"Good morning, lover," she whispered, continuing to softly purr for him.

"Hello, Ryoko," he returned, wrapping his arm around her, pulling her a little closer, and giving her a little kiss. "Did you sleep well?"

She moaned softly and smiled, returning his embrace. "Thank you," she said, quietly.

"What for?" Tenchi continued to gaze at her soft complexion, smiling into those golden eyes.

"For finally telling me… and showing me how much you love me last night. That was the best thing that has ever happened to me." She squeezed him tighter, kissing him again. "I love you, Tenchi."

He smiled down at her, and felt a small lump in his throat, but he did his best to swallow it down. "I love you too, Ryoko," he said, as a tidal wave of relief washed over his body and soul.

Yes! He had done it! He finally gathered up the courage to tell her he loved her, and mean it, with all of his heart. It felt so good to finally be able to tell her the words he had felt, but was too afraid to say. Ryoko had no idea how much those words struck home with her, until she finally heard them for herself. A happiness that words could not describe cascaded through her heart, giving her a feeling of unsurpassed peace and tranquility. After a year and a half of pursuing, a year and a half of begging, tears, pleas, fights, and hardships, it all finally came down to those three little words, which he finally told her, after so long.

She took in a deep breath, savoring that little phrase, and locking it into her heart. "Ohhh, Tenchi," she moaned, sensually. "Say that again," she begged, looking into his face. "Please."

"I love you, Ryoko. More than words can say."

The tears started streaming down her cheeks as she kissed him, hard, almost as if she was trying to suck out his soul and make it her own. Tenchi looked at her, almost in shock after she released him.

"Ryoko? What's the matter?" he asked in worry. "Did I do something wrong?"

She gazed back into his brown eyes lovingly as the tears continued to flow freely, and shook her head. "No. You did everything right. I love you so much, Tenchi. More than even you yourself realize."

He gently clasped her cheek in his hand, using his thumb to tenderly wipe away her tears. She closed her eyes and took his hand in hers, rubbing her cheek in his palm, as she sniffled quietly. After a moment, she carefully removed his hand from her face and opened her eyes, pulling herself closer to him, then gave him another kiss, which he wholeheartedly returned, squeezing her tightly. Her tears subsided a moment later, and she continued to smile for him.

"I love you very much, Ryoko. I just wish I had the courage to tell you that sooner."

"Shhh," she chided him. "Just hold me for a while. I want to savor every waking moment with you." She rested her head on the pillow next to Tenchi, only a few inches away from his face. He rolled onto his side to face her, returning her gaze, which was bursting with overwhelming love and happiness. They both gently caressed each other, allowing their hands to softly roam each other, feeling each other's warmth, both of them ignoring the passage of time and the sound of the raindrops that continually pelted the windowsill outside of his bedroom window.

"I wish this moment would last forever, Tenchi."

"I do too, Ryoko." He continued to softly pet her, and her him, as the minutes ticked by, but was ignored by the two lovers.

Out of nowhere, Tenchi's stomach croaked quietly, but not quietly enough. They both stopped and stared at each other, before they both burst out in a fit of the giggles.

"I guess it's time for breakfast," he said, stealing a glance at the clock on his nightstand. He turned back toward her, smiling broadly. "Are you hungry?"

Before she had the opportunity to answer, her own stomach rumbled a response, drowning out her soft purring. She blushed lightly, and then started giggling again. "Does that answer your question?" she asked, smiling, as the sound of her contentedness once again became the only sound in the bedroom.

"Do you want to get up and get some breakfast with me?"

Sighing tenderly, she nodded her head.

He chuckled softly. "Okay then," he said, giving her another quick peck in the lips, then letting go of her and sliding himself out from under the warm covers and into the coolness of his room. Casually moving over to his dresser, he pulled out a clean pair of boxer shorts and put them on. After that, he went to his closet and picked out a new pair of shorts and one of the new shirts they bought yesterday at the mall, and dressed, taking care to cut the tags off the shirt and shorts.

Looking back toward the bed after he was finished, he saw that she was sitting on top of the covers, dressed in a pretty pink blouse, which covered her whole body. He smiled and looked her over, noticing that the pink brought out the gold in her eyes, but contrasted nicely with her cyan hair.

"You look even more beautiful today than you ever did, Ryoko," he said, slowly moving to the bed and offering her his hand with a humble little bow.

She smiled and giggled, graciously accepting his invitation, floating off of the bed and standing up on the floor. "You're going to spoil me now, is that it?"

"You don't like being spoiled?" he asked, smiling at her gorgeous face.

"I think I can get used to it," she said, wrapping her arms around her treasure and kissing him tenderly.

Once again, both their stomachs growled at both of them, reminding them that they were hungry and wanted food. Now. And they didn't want to wait anymore. They both looked at each other and giggled lightly as they left the room to go eat breakfast.

Aeka slowly awakened to the soothing, quiet pelting of the rain against her window. Moaning softly, she unconsciously stretched herself out under her blanket, rolling onto her back, and took in a deep breath, letting it out in a refreshing yawn. Her violet eyes slowly opened themselves, adjusting themselves to the light coming in through her bedroom window. She smiled to herself, since in a very good mood this morning, despite the depressing rain outside her window. Looking over at the vacant futon next to her, she realized Sasami must have gotten up a little while ago and started on breakfast for everybody. Not one to disappoint, she tossed back her covers, feeling the coolness of the air rush to her skin, giving her small goose bumps. Thankful that today wasn't another scorcher, she got up and went to her closet and chose a red kimono and a violet sash, tossing those onto her futon, and withdrew a white undershirt from her closet, adding that to the pile. Taking care to remove her nightgown and hang it up, she dressed herself in the clothes she picked, and admired herself in the bedroom mirror. Noticing the glitter under her clothes, her smile broadened, as she looked at the small phoenix that hung around her neck, the gift from Tenchi and Ryoko.

That gift was the best thing she has ever gotten from anybody in her entire life. Sure, it wasn't no where near the craftsmanship, or quality, or even the monetary value of the other gifts she was given during her marriage meetings, but the meaning behind it was worth so much more. "It means a sign of unsurpassed beauty," Tenchi had told her. She smiled even broader, knowing that Tenchi still thought she was very beautiful. The fact that he was with Ryoko didn't matter anymore, because he still cared about her and her feelings. Even Ryoko did as well, and it filled her with pride and almost indescribable happiness that her former worst enemy would choose a gift like that to give her.

And then there was Russ, who even though behaved like a child yesterday, was still considerate enough to buy her those two videos that she was going to get for herself. In a way, she missed having fights like that with Ryoko. Even though yesterday's fight was not physical, it still felt good to behave like a stuck up little child once again. It had been nearly a year since she had fought like that, and it felt really good, and it relaxed her considerably. Knowing she didn't mean any harm yesterday, and assuming Russ didn't either, made her feel at peace. He was a nice man, and so far had shown that he cares about other people's feelings, and that was important to her. A man who cares about nothing except for himself is very selfish, and she wanted no part of a person like that.

She noticed that Russ was quite different from other men she had met before, even Tenchi, but he had a charm all his own. He had incredible strength and power, but never used it, unless he was training himself or someone needed his help. Even with his enormous ability to create death and destruction, he didn't seem to want to do stuff like that, but rather prevent it. He had a wonderful talent for music, and was remarkably humble, always thanking people and never bragging about his abilities to others. On top of all that, he was quite handsome, albeit not as handsome as Tenchi.

Satisfied that her appearance was adequate, she left her room and went downstairs, seeing Tenchi and Ryoko on the couch, gazing into each other's faces which were filled with love and… something else that she couldn't quite put her finger on. But anyway, it was none of her business, so she smiled as she made her way downstairs.

"Good morning, Ryoko and Tenchi. You guys look like you're in a good mood today," she said cheerfully, filled with happiness herself.

"Good morning, Aeka. You look like you're in a good mood yourself," Ryoko answered, as Tenchi turned toward the princess.

"Hi, Aeka. Did you sleep well?" he asked with a big smile.

"Yes! I'm both in a good mood and I had a wonderful night's rest. The rain really helps me sleep since it drowns out most other noises in the house."

"Yeah, I noticed that too," Ryoko said, eyeing Tenchi mischievously. He ignored it though, much to her disappointment.

"Well, I'm going to go see if Sasami needs any help," he said, making her way to the kitchen, where the sounds of pots and pans scraping over the stove could be heard. A quiet humming was also noticed coming through the door. She took a quick glance around the room. "Where's Russ? Isn't he up yet?"

"No, not yet. At least, I don't think so. I haven't seen him this morning," Tenchi answered.

"Hmmm." Aeka went into the kitchen were Sasami was busy as a bee at the stove.

She turned away from stirring the miso soup when she heard the kitchen door slide open. "Good morning, Aeka!" she said in her usual, cheerful demeanor, running up to her sister and giving her a warm hug.

"Good morning, Sasami. You look well rested and happy today."

"Yes I am. I don't know why though. It's raining, which means I can't go outside and play, but I feel good anyway."

Ryo-Ohki, perched on top of the little girl's head, meowed her greeting to Aeka.

"And good morning to you too, Ryo-Ohki," she giggled, petting the cabbit on the head, eliciting a light purr from her. "Well, can I help you with anything in here, Sasami?"

"Not really. I've just about finished off everything. I'm just waiting for the miso to finish cooking and then breakfast will be ready. If you want, you can carry out these plates to the table. That will be helpful to me," she offered, smiling sweetly.

"Okay." She reached into one of the drawers and drew out a handful of chopsticks, and picked up one of the many plates that were on the counter, being careful not to spill anything. She went back into the living room and saw that Nobuyuki was now awake, and was busily pounding Tenchi on the back, who's face was as red as the kimono she was wearing.

"It's about time, Tenchi! I'm so proud to know that you've finally grown up into a healthy man!" He continued slapping him on the back, and then gave him a crushing hug.

"Daaaaaaaad! Cut that out! It's embarrassing! And how did you know anyway?" he choked out, just before his dad released him. Ryoko was smiling broadly, clearly pleased with Nobuyuki's reaction.

"I'm just so proud, son! It would've been great if you let me videotape it! I always wanted to record your development in life! I had gotten up late last night to go to the bathroom and I had heard you two in your room," he said, tears in his eyes. "I was going to record it, but I decided that I should leave you alone for your first time."

Both Tenchi and Ryoko stared at him. Ryoko thought it would have been fun, and Tenchi thought it was the craziest thing he ever heard. And what was he doing, eavesdropping on them?

Aeka set the food down on the table, thinking about what Nobuyuki had said, as she returned to the kitchen to gather up the rest of the food. "…grown up to be a healthy man…" Where did she hear that before? Suddenly, it clicked. They were all sitting around the table, shortly after she had arrived on Earth to rescue Mihoshi. They were all eating breakfast, and out of nowhere, Ryoko started babbling about pickles and ice cream. Nobuyuki picked up on it and asked if she was pregnant. Shortly thereafter, Ryoko raced out of the room and apparently had given birth to an egg. But the killer was when she told everybody that it was the egg that she had made with Tenchi. Nobuyuki went crazy with pride, slapping Tenchi on the shoulders in much the same manner as he was currently doing, and he had said nearly the same exact thing. Does that mean… Tenchi and Ryoko… made a baby? No. It's too soon for that. But… maybe they made love last night? Yes, that has to be it. What else could or would spark THAT kind of reaction out of Tenchi's father, the resident pervert of the house?

She looked up at both of them, as they gazed into each other's eyes. Tenchi felt another pair of eyes on him as she glanced over the couch, directly into Aeka's face. Ryoko noticed his appearance, and she too turned to look at Aeka. She looked back at them, and smiled. "Congratulations, you two. I'm very happy for the both of you."

Tenchi, Ryoko, and Nobuyuki all facefaulted straight to the floor in shock. They slowly recovered and looked back at Aeka, who was still smiling broadly, and she nodded her head.

"Aeka?" Tenchi began.

"Don't worry, Tenchi. I'm fine with it. I've known for a long time that you two would eventually begin doing that kind of thing, and I'm happy for the both of you. Really." And she was, too.

Both Tenchi and Ryoko heaved a huge sigh of relief, and they both smiled at her. "Thank you for being so understanding, Aeka. That means a lot to me," Ryoko said, nodding her head at her.

"That goes for me too, Aeka. Thank you."

"Think nothing of it. And I mean it when I say, congratulations." She bowed toward them. "I'll be right back with the rest of breakfast. I hope you're good and hungry!" Turning to go back into the kitchen, she looked over her shoulder and flashed them another smile, and disappeared through the doorway. She let out a huge sigh of relief, and it felt really good to finally be at peace with both of them. It was over between her and Tenchi, and there was no need to fret over it any longer, and it felt good to finally reach that point.

Sasami turned around when her sister re-entered. "What was that all about?"

"Oh, nothing, Sasami. I'll tell you about it when you're older," she informed her, smiling.

"Darn it! You're always saying that. And judging by the way father was acting, I have a pretty good guess at what went on between Tenchi and Ryoko last night. But I must say, I'm happy you're taking it so well," she said, hugging her sister again. "It makes me happy to see everybody else happy. I don't want to see anybody fight anymore. And now it seems that nobody has to."

Aeka sighed. "You may be little, but you sure don't act like it sometimes," she said, patting her sister's shoulder. "Come on, let's get breakfast out to the table. Everybody's starving."

"Yes, you're right. The miso is done. Go ahead and take these two plates out there, and I'll get the rest. Thank you, Aeka." She turned off the burner to the stove and poured the soup into a large bowl, and then she fished a ladle out of one of the drawers and put that alongside it. She carefully lifted the soup bowl, and being careful not to spill it, she followed Aeka out to the breakfast table, where Nobuyuki, Ryoko, Tenchi, and Aeka were all seated.

"Where are Kiyone, Mihoshi, Washu, and Russ?" Sasami asked, looking at the vacant seats.

"Well, Washu is probably busy in her lab as usual, Kiyone and Mihoshi went out to look for an apartment nearby, and Russ… well, I have no idea about him," Tenchi informed her.

"I wonder if he's a sleepy head like you are, Tenchi," Sasami teased. "I guess I'll just have to play a little prank on him," she giggled evilly as she got up from the table.

"Sasami! What are you doing?" Aeka looked at her sister in horror.

She cackled sinisterly as she disappeared into the kitchen and returned with a can of whipped cream. Glancing over at her sister with an evil gleam in her eye, she quietly ascended the stairway, heading toward Russ' room. Aeka rolled her eyes and started giggling.

"He's going to get it. Sasami is the king of pranks here," Ryoko giggled. "Not even I can match what she does."

"I know. Give her a reason to pull a prank and you're history," Aeka said, still giggling quietly as she began sipping her soup. "Oh, listen to me. I shouldn't encourage behavior like that."

"Hopefully Russ will be a good sport about it," Tenchi said, worriedly.

"I'm sure he will be," Aeka responded. "Remember yesterday at the mall?"

Tenchi and Ryoko both started laughing. "Yeah, that was quite amusing. Did you feel better after that?" Tenchi asked.

"Yeah, actually. It felt good to behave like that again. It gets boring acting so uptight and regal all the time. It was a nice distraction from the ordinary."

"Well anyway, Sasami should be in Russ' room by now. Let's wait and see what happens," Tenchi snickered.

Russ was sprawled over the top of his bed, lying on his chest with his arm dangling over the edge closest to the doorway. The window to his room was open, but the rain was falling in a way that it didn't enter the house. His head lay on the pillow, but he never slid himself under the blankets. He was still clothed in the garments he had on from yesterday, except they were not covering him very well. The shirt was bunched up near his chest, leaving his abs and his lower back exposed, and his shorts were hitched up in such a way that it was giving him a wedgie. He was trying to breathe through his nose, but as usual, it was clogged, and he wound up drawing in loud, raspy breaths through his mouth.

Sasami quietly slid back the door to his room and stepped inside, spying Russ on the bed. She stopped and froze, and had to calm herself down to keep from laughing at his posture. Tiptoeing over to his bed, she shook up the can of whipped cream and squirted a healthy amount into his hand that was dangling over the edge. Satisfied that there was plenty, she looked around the room for something to tickle his nose with. Unfortunately, there was nothing that would work, so she improvised. She silently moved behind the headboard and bent down, gently blowing a stream of air into his face. He wrinkled his nose in response and stirred slightly, but immediately resumed his heavy slumber. Determined, she blew a little harder into his face, which invoked the same response.

"Geez, what's he made out of? Stone?" she muttered to herself, trying to keep from giggling. She took in a deeper breath and again blew directly into his face, and this time it had the desired effect. He brought his hand up and smacked it right into his visage, spreading the whipped cream everywhere. Sasami couldn't contain herself anymore and she exploded laughing, rousing Russ out of his sleep.

Not totally awake, but moderately aware that someone was laughing at him, Russ removed his hand from his face, which felt very strange. He closed his hand and felt something very soft and cool squish between his fingers. Slowly opening up his eyes, he looked into his hand, which was now covered in white froth. Changing his focus over to the sound of laughing that stood near the door, he could see Sasami holding a can of whipped cream. Looking back to his hand, he stuck a finger into his mouth and confirmed his suspicions. He slowly sat up and reached up with his other hand, making sure that it was clean, and wiped the remaining whipped cream off of his face, licking up what he missed. He then cleaned off his other hand and stood up, now wide-awake.

"Ha! Ha! It's breakfast time! Come and get it before it gets cold," she laughed before racing out of the room. He charged out the door, hot on her heels.

"You do realize, this means war!" he shouted after her, chasing her down the stairs. She raced behind the couch as Russ tore into the kitchen. He returned a moment later with a can of whipped cream of his own. He quickly began shaking it and removed the top. "Come here. I've got a present for yah!"

He began to circle the couch as Sasami giggled uncontrollably, still shaking her own can of the stuff and making sure to stay out of reach. Everybody at the table exploded laughing, watching Russ and Sasami square off. "So, you're a little prankster, aren't you? I must inform you, that you're totally outclassed," he cackled evilly, slowly inching his way around the sofa. "If you want a prank war, you're on!" He leapt over the couch as Sasami tore around the table and hid behind Aeka, still giggling away. Aeka, on the other hand, got a look of worry on her face as Russ approached the opposite end of the table, and began slowly circling again.

"Okay, that's enough you two. Don't make a mess, okay?" Aeka said. "I'm trying to enjoy my breakfast here."

"She started it," Russ protested, but decided he was hungry when he saw all the food. "Okay, Sasami, you win this one, but I'll get you back. You can bet on it." He grinned, giving her one of the most sinister looks he could muster. He replaced the cap on his can of whipped cream and returned it to the kitchen, then emerged a moment later and took his seat next to Aeka. Sasami sat on the opposite side of her sister, continuing to giggle. He looked at her, continuing to give an evil little grin as he picked up a bowl and filled it with rice, which he consumed in a few seconds. Filling the same bowl with the miso soup, he swallowed it all almost in one gulp.

Eyeing Sasami, who was also watching him out of the corner of her eye, he covertly picked up a grain of rice that was stuck to his bowl, placed it between his fingers, and flicked it at her behind Aeka's back. Sasami noticed it, and gave him her own little evil grin, as she discretely picked up her own rice grain and flung it at him, again behind Aeka's back. Russ saw it coming, so he reached up, faster than the eye could see and grabbed it before it hit him, and then returned his hand to where it was. Sasami stared at him, dumbfounded, since she couldn't see where the rice grain went. Russ started snickering like crazy, drawing Aeka's attention.

"What's so funny?"

Ryoko and Tenchi were both giggling and chuckling lightly, which irked Aeka even more.

"What is so funny?" she asked again, becoming more confused by the minute.

Her inquisitive look only served to get everybody at the table laughing even harder. Aeka shrugged her shoulders and went back to eating. Russ took the grain of rice that he grabbed from Sasami and flung it across the table at Ryoko, which hit her in the cheek. Her face went to surprise, and her smile turned evil, as she flung her own grain of rice across the table, which nailed Russ right on the nose. Since he was now focused on Ryoko, Sasami flung another grain of rice at Russ, nailing him in the side of the head. He cocked an eyebrow at both of them as Tenchi was doing his best to control himself and keep from laughing out loud.

Sasami, Ryoko, and Russ all looked at him with an evil gleam in their eyes, as they all opened fire with rice grains, pelting him in the head. Aeka saw that and looked harshly at all three of them.

"Stop that right now! You're behaving like children," she said sternly, as she glared at her sister. Unbeknownst to her, she labeled herself as a target. When she returned to eating her breakfast, Russ looked at the three of them and gave a very slight nod, grinning evilly. Tenchi, Ryoko, Russ, and Sasami all loaded their fingers with rice grains and flung them all at Aeka, who was pelted from all sides. She looked up in total surprise as she glared at all four of the participants. Somehow, Nobuyuki managed to slip away during this little fiasco, sensing that something was going to happen.

Fed up with their little game, she picked up her rice bowl and dumped the entire contents over Russ' head. He sat there in complete shock, as did everybody else, as Aeka grinned triumphantly at him.

"Serves you right for behaving so immaturely," she declared.

Suddenly, he started laughing really hard, as he reached up and brushed some of the rice off of his head.

"FOOD FIGHT!" he roared, as he reached over to the serving bowl, grabbed a heaping handful of rice grains, and shoved them right in Aeka's face, making the ball of rice explode everywhere. Everybody exploded laughing, except for Aeka, who was now extremely red in the face and trembling with anger. She reached over and picked up a handful of rice and tried to return the favor, but Russ opened his mouth up real wide and caught the clump of rice, chewing and swallowing in a few seconds. He grinned widely and stuck out his tongue.

"Missed me," he taunted, picking up another handful of rice and throwing it at Sasami, who was rolling around on the floor, laughing. He nailed her in the side, making the rice grains go everywhere.

Total chaos ensued from that point. Everybody reached in toward the middle of the table in an attempt to grab whatever food they could get their hands on, picking targets and flinging the food at everyone else. The fight lasted another few minutes until they ran out of ammunition, but everybody, even Aeka, were laughing heartily. Ryo-Ohki had managed to hide behind the couch during the entire fiasco, so she emerged unscathed. It was just at that moment when Washu decided to come out of her lab. She stopped, stared, and then facefaulted.

"What HAPPENED in here?" she exclaimed while looking at the huge mess they created.

"We ate breakfast, what else did you expect?" Russ said casually, through his constant snickering. Aeka, Tenchi, Ryoko and Sasami all looked at Washu innocently, as she continued to stare dumbfounded.

"You guys had a food fight, and DIDN'T INVITE ME?" she yelled, now laughing along with them. "Oh man, what a mess," she said, trying to navigate around the war zone, trying to make her way toward the kitchen. "Looks like you kids had fun. Sasami? Did you save me anything?"

The little blue haired princess sat up, trying to catch her breath from laughing so hard. "Y... yes," she panted. "It's in its usual place in the fridge."

"Thank you, Sasami. Oh, by the way, I finished the bathroom. Just go over there," she instructed, pointing down the hallway to the bathroom. "When a woman opens the door, it goes to the women's bath. When a guy opens the door, it opens to the normal bathroom. I took the onsen down that was over the lake, so that's all taken care of." Receiving her acknowledgement, she disappeared into the kitchen.

"Whew! Now I haven't had that much fun in years!" Russ said, taking in a deep breath and letting it out in a contented sigh.

Everybody nodded. "Yes, I have to agree, even though it was extremely childish," Aeka stated, picking some of the rice grains off of her kimono and hair.

"For a minute I thought you were going to kill all of us," Russ said, smiling. "I'm glad you loosened up and had a little fun."

"Yeah, no kidding. I always told you to stop being so uptight, princess," Ryoko agreed, trying to clean herself off a little. "But that was a lot of fun."

"Yeah, but now we have to clean this mess," Tenchi groaned, as she surveyed the disaster. "It is going to take forever to get this place spotless again."

"Not really. If we all work together, we can have this place cleaned up in no time," Russ said, standing up and shaking off his clothes. Everybody else looked at him, smiled and stood up, then tried to clean themselves off as best they could. "Well, shall we get busy?"

"Yeah," they all said in unison, as Russ picked up all the dirty dishes and stacked them neatly in a pile. Tenchi retrieved the vacuum and Aeka grabbed the broom and dustpan, while Ryoko fetched the feather duster. Sasami and Russ carried the dirty dishes into the kitchen and started cleaning them up, while everybody else set to work cleaning the living room.

Washu continued to watch them, smiling widely, as she thought about some of the fun times she used to have. Deciding that they'd be okay, she disappeared back into her lab, carrying her breakfast with her.

A half hour later, they finished cleaning up the house, and then dispersed to do some activities to pass the time. Sasami sat down in front of the TV and fired up the playstation, tossing in a fighting game as Ryo-Ohki transformed into her child form. She picked up the second controller and meowed a challenge to Sasami, which she readily accepted. Tenchi went up to his room to continue his drawing that he was working on a few days ago, and Ryoko tried to doze off on his bed. Aeka picked up a cookbook and started reading some recipes that looked rather appetizing. Russ returned to his room and fetched the lyrics for the song he completed last night.

He came back downstairs just as Sasami defeated Ryo-Ohki in their little contest. "Sasami?"

She and the cabbit turned around. "Yeah? What is it?"

Russ waved the sheet of paper in the air. "I finished the lyrics for the song last night. Here they are," he said, presenting it to her.

"Oh wow! Cool!" She accepted the paper and looked at it, but her face quickly became a frown.

"What's wrong?"

"I can't read it," she said, looking up at him. "I'm sorry."

"Oh! I didn't know you couldn't read roman characters. No problem. Come along with me and I'll read the lyrics to you, so you can write them down in Kanji."

"Okay, that'll work. Where do you want to go?"

"Lets go back to my room. At least there will be some privacy there," he said, starting back up the stairs and motioning for her to follow. She hesitated slightly, but followed anyway, against her better judgment. He noticed her hesitation though. "Don't worry, I'm not going to do anything," he said, looking over his shoulder. "Yet," he added with an evil cackle. She stopped in her tracks and looked at him fearfully. "Aw, come on. Seriously, I won't do anything. I promise."

"Okay, if you say so."

She and Ryo-Ohki followed him to his room and he shut the door behind them. "Okay," he began, sitting down on the bed. "Take out a piece of paper from the drawer on your right, and take one of the pencils or pens that you'll find in the middle drawer." She did as she was told. "Now, write down what I say in the form I tell you. It'll help keep rhythm."

"Okay." She hunched over the desk, getting ready to write down what he said.

"Now, the first line is…"

About fifteen minutes later they finished, and Sasami was smiling widely. "This is a great song! I can't wait to hear the music that goes with it!"

"Well, you want to go do it right now?"

"Could you? Please?" she begged.

"Sure. Let's go," he said, making his way toward the door. Her smile could've crushed the most depressed mood anyone would've had.

All three of them made their way downstairs and Russ took a seat at the organ. He turned it on and loaded up the song into the computer, then turned toward Sasami, who was standing nearby. "I'll sing the song to the music first, so you'll know how it goes. Then you can sing it. You can go take a seat on the couch or pull up a chair. You don't have to stand there."

"Yeah, I guess you're right." She walked over to the couch and sat down, still holding her sheet of paper. "You can sing too?"

Russ put his own copy on top of the organ and read through it once more, hoping he'd get it right the first time. "Somewhat. I'm not that good. But anyway here goes nothing," he said, as he hit the play and record buttons on the computer. All he had left to add was the piano portion of the song, and he decided to do that now. He began playing the piano, and began to sing to the song titled, "I'm a Pioneer."

[In Japanese]

Did you know… I am a Pioneer,

I'm on a secret mission,

I travel the galaxy… and far beyond…

A moment later, the song started kicking through the organ and Russ sang loud and clear, adding vibrato where it was appropriate. Sasami's smile brightened as she listened in amazement, both in the song and his incredible ability to sing. Aeka who was in the next room dropped her cookbook in astonishment and went into the living room, staring at Russ who was currently bouncing his foot with the drumbeat and singing. Ryoko and Tenchi, who were now just quietly talking with each other in his room, heard the song start playing. They both fell silent when they heard Russ' voice carry throughout the entire house, and they looked at each other in amazement. Getting up off the bed and chair, they went downstairs and stood next to Aeka, who was still standing in the same spot like a statue.

For a moment, Russ stopped singing as the organ continued to play the instrumental part of the song. He smiled hugely at Sasami's excitement, but not noticing he had an audience. Quickly approaching the second verse of the song, he took in a deep breath and resumed singing, and Sasami read along with him.

A couple minutes later, he turned back toward the organ and played the ending piano portion to the song, and faded it out. He saved the finished piece to the computer and turned back toward Sasami.

"Your turn. You ready?"

"R… Russ?" Aeka stammered out from her spot near the kitchen door. He whirled around and looked directly into her face, and turned hyper red.

"Oh my god… How long have you been standing there? I'm so embarrassed. My voice isn't that good. Sorry you had to hear that noise."

"Shut up," she said. "That was beautiful. You can sing. I can't believe it. You can play music AND SING!" she shouted, causing nearly every ounce of blood in Russ' body to rush to his face. He felt like he was going to pass out a moment later.

"I… I'm not that good," he whispered, trying to calm down.

Ryoko and Tenchi both started clapping, and Aeka with Sasami joined a moment later, showing appreciation for his performance. Russ just looked at the floor, clearly mortified.

Aeka made her way over to Russ and put her arm around his shoulders and looked into his face. "Really. You have a beautiful voice. I'd love to hear you sing again."

He shook his head rapidly and turned away. "You're just saying that. Sasami?"

"What is it, Russ?"

"It's your turn to sing this. It was meant for you, so let's give it a try, okay?" He was trembling slightly as Aeka squeezed his shoulder. "Why don't you fire up the karaoke machine so you can sing it nice and loud?"

"Sure." She went to the machine and turned it on, withdrawing one of the microphones and testing the volume. "Is this good enough?" she asked through the system.

"Yeah, that's good. Are you ready?"

"Yup!" Her face beamed with excitement as Aeka, Ryoko, and Tenchi all sat down on the couch.

"Okay. Here we go." He hit the play button on the organ and cranked up the volume a little, as the piano that he played a moment before began to come from the speakers, and Sasami began to sing her song, loudly, clearly, and perfectly.

Five minutes later she finished, and the music faded away. Everybody gave her a big round of applause, as Sasami ran up to Russ and threw her arms around his neck, giving him a hug. He returned it with a big smile, now relaxed to the point where his skin color returned to normal.

"You're a great singer, Sasami. I guess you liked that, eh?"

"That was so cool! Thank you Russ! Can you do another one?"

He looked taken aback, but he nodded his head. "Sure. I can do that for you."

"Yay!" She bounced up and down on her heels in excitement. "I'll tell you a little about it later."

"Oh? You have a special theme in mind?"

"Yeah. I'll explain it to you later."

"Okay. Well, I'm going to go train for the rest of the day. See you guys later," he said, standing up and opening the door.

"What? It's raining! You'll catch pneumonia or something," Aeka said, standing up herself.

"Nah. I need to train. Having it rain is pretty nice, since it'll keep me a lot cooler while I exercise. Besides, it helps build character," he said, smiling, as he stepped outside and closed the door behind him. A white flash burst around him for an instant, changing his clothes to a pretty violet karate gi, which matched Aeka's eye color. He quickly walked to the edge of the lake and looked at Ryu-Oh for a moment, and then he dropped down into the mud and began doing pushups, at five hundred ten times Earth's normal gravity.

"He's crazy," she spat, glaring at him through the door.

"Why? Because he loves exercising?" Ryoko asked, watching her.

"No, because he has to exercise in the rain! It's crazy. He should have a room inside here or something for him to train in when we have bad weather outside."

"Hmmm, I might be able to help with that."

Everybody turned toward the Universe's Greatest Scientific Genius, who had just emerged from her lab. "I have developed a special simulator room where he can test his fighting skills against holograms! It's really my best piece of work for die hard trainers like him."

"What does it do?"

"Well, it's a special room where I can create computer sprites, which I can infuse with battle tactics from any known species or race that has a combative strategy, and he can fight against them."

A chorus of "Huh?" came from around the room.

"You don't get it? I don't know how I can explain it any simpler than that!" She looked completely flustered. "Well, basically it is a room where he can fight against computer opponents, much like Sasami does when she plays her video game. Russ would be one character, and he'd fight against another character, which is computer controlled."

"Oh! That sounds really neat. I'm sure he'd like that."

"I don't know. But I've only developed the room. I haven't put it together yet. I've still got tons of other experiments to take care of first. The gravity enhancer will be good enough for him for now."

"Oh well. No big deal. I'm sure if you explain it to him, he'd be very happy," Aeka said. "I'd be happy too, since he won't have to train out in the rain anymore."

"I suppose. Well, why don't you ladies try out the new bath? I'm sure you people would want to get cleaned up after your little war."

Ryoko and Aeka looked at each and nodded their heads. Tenchi also nodded. "So when I open the bathroom door, I'll just get the normal bathroom?"

"Yup."

"Oh. I guess that's okay. I liked the onsen though."

"Sorry Tenchi. I could modify your bathroom to something nicer, if you want."

"Why don't you just give him access to the women's bath?" Ryoko asked.

Tenchi blushed slightly. "No, that's okay. I don't mind that much."

"Are you sure, Tenchi? It would be a snap to give you access to the bathroom," Washu offered.

"I'm sure. Thanks though."

"Suit yourself. If you still want access to the bathroom, one of the girls can let you in."

"Okay."

"Well, I need to get back to work. I just came out to put my dishes away. See you guys later."

"Okay, and thanks, Little Washu," Aeka said, turning away from watching Russ.

Nobuyuki poked his head around the corner. "Can I have access to the women's bath?"

Everybody spun around and looked straight at him. "NO!" they all shouted at once.

"Darn. Well, it's time for me to go to work. See you guys tonight. Save dinner for me. I think I'm going to be real late at the office again," he said, his face downcast.

"Okay Dad. See you when you get home."

June 19 approached very rapidly, which was the day they were all supposed to leave to go to Jurai to see the Startica festival, which begins on June 21. The house was bustling with hurried chaos, as everybody was trying to get his or her things packed in preparation to leave. People were racing all over the hallways, gathering up their belongings and desperately trying to remember not to forget anything. The excitement level was really high, and so was the stress level. Shoulders were bumped in nearly every hallway, and the constant thumping of feet rumbled throughout the house for most of the morning.

Aeka was completely stressed out as she hurriedly packed all of her stuff in various luggage cases, trying to remember everything she needed to bring, such as her lipstick, perfume, her favorite kimono, hairdryer, and her hairbrush. The nagging feeling that she forgot something continued to prick at her conscience, but that was typical for anybody who was leaving for a trip.

"Oh, I hate this! I know I forgot something!" she cried out, hurriedly double checking everything in her luggage. Sasami was nearby, packing her own things.

"Don't worry so much, Aeka! We still have an hour to go before we actually have to leave. Besides, we're going home. If you forgot something, we could always get you a new one there." She put her hands on her hips and watched her sister frantically look around for an item that she had already packed away. She couldn't help but giggle.

"It's not funny, Sasami! Now where did I put that thing," she muttered, rummaging through the suitcases and other belongings. Sasami rolled her eyes and continued folding her clothes and carefully putting them in her suitcase.

"Mom is going to be so surprised to have us come home! I can't wait to see her again," she sighed, her eyes twinkling.

Aeka smiled. "Yeah. It'll be nice to visit with mom, dad, Azaka, and Kamadake. Dad is probably going to be furious with me for staying away for so long." Her stress level climbed a few more notches.

"I wouldn't worry about father. Mom can take care of him," she giggled. "Don't worry so much. It's not good for the complexion, as Ryoko always says."

Aeka rolled her eyes. "You just too young to understand yet. You will, once you get older."

"There's that age excuse again. Just don't let it get to you!"

"That's easy for you to say since you don't have to worry about things like this."

"Oh? And what don't I have to worry about?"

"Um…" Aeka was at a loss for words.

"See? You're all packed. Just relax a little. We'll get our stuff packed into Ryo-Ohki in a little while. Let's just carry our stuff down and set them outside on the porch. That's what everyone else is doing."

She let out a sigh of defeat. "Okay. I guess you're right." Lifting up some of her luggage, she tried to carry it out into the hallway, but she packed so much stuff that it made her suitcases weigh a considerable amount. One of the suitcases slipped out of her hand and landed on the floor with a huge thump, echoing throughout the house. Russ just happened to be standing nearby, and he poked his head out of the room, wondering what was going on.

"Need some help, Aeka?"

"Could you please? I overstuffed my suitcases."

"Sure, no problem." He turned back into the room and said something that Aeka couldn't make out, and then he walked over to her, bending down and lifting her suitcase with ease. "I assume you want these outside on the porch?"

"Yeah, thank you very much."

"Not a problem," he said with a grin. "Let me get that other one for you too." He reached out and took the other suitcase out of Aeka's hand, then went downstairs.

Aeka watched him go, and then she returned to her room, grabbing another two suitcases. Fortunately, these were lighter than the ones she tried carrying out a minute ago, so she managed to get them to the porch without incident. Sasami followed closely behind with her own two suitcases, and set them down next to her sister's luggage. Russ came out the door a moment later and tossed his duffel bag into the pile. Aeka stared at it, and then at him.

"Is that all you're bringing?"

He looked at her with mock surprise. "What? You think I should bring my entire wardrobe for just a week?"

"At least more than that!" she yelled, pointing at his luggage.

"I don't NEED more than that. Remember, I can generate my clothes on a whim if I want."

"You haven't generated anything except karate gi's! What else can you generate?"

"I can generate karate gi's only. But that's what I like to wear. They're comfortable and I look good in them."

Aeka threw up her hands in frustration and went back inside. Russ started chuckling to himself when the doorbell rang.

"I'll get it," Russ said, making his way over to the front door.

"Hi! We're here!" Mihoshi announced.

"Yeah, we're here," Kiyone said, looking very tired. "Where should we put our luggage?"

"What's wrong, Kiyone?"

"We pulled a late night shift again. There was no way to get out of it." She let out a big yawn and stretched.

"Oh, sorry to hear it. There will be plenty of room on my friend's ship to sleep, so you can catch a few winks when we leave." Russ spied their suitcases behind them. "I'll take care of your luggage. Everybody else is more or less done packing everything so go on inside and make yourselves comfortable for now."

"Thanks a lot," she sighed, trudging into the house. Russ looked back at Mihoshi, who was energetic as usual. He closed the door behind them, holding all of their suitcases and duffel bags.

"How come you're not tired like she is?"

"I had fallen asleep during patrol last night. Kiyone never woke me back up."

"I see. Well anyway, how do you guys like your new apartment? I never had the chance to ask you about it since you moved out on a whim last week."

"It's nice! It's the same one we had before. The rent is real cheap since we can't afford…" she had a hand over her mouth again.

"You always say one word too many!" Kiyone growled at her. Russ just smiled and shook his head, snickering lightly.

"Well, at least you won't have to worry about finances on this trip. Aeka had said that we'd most likely stay in the Royal Palace, so room and board will be free. Anyway, where do you guys park the Yagami now? I haven't seen it in a while."

"We leave it in orbit and transport aboard when we need to go out on an emergency," Kiyone explained. "Makes it nicer than that little patrol shuttle we used to have."

"Yeah, sounds like it. Cool." Russ made his way into the living room followed by the two Galaxy Police Officers. "Hey guys, Kiyone and Mihoshi are here."

Nobuyuki, Katsuhito, Washu, Ryoko, and Tenchi all turned and greeted them warmly. Russ took their luggage and added it to the mountain of suitcases and travel bags on the porch.

"Why do women have so much luggage?" he mumbled to himself.

Looking back inside the house, Russ decided the crowd was too big, so he made his way out to the lake, intending to burn the remaining time away. He had already taken care of everything that needed to be done. The homing beacon on his spacepod was active, and would deactivate an hour after they left. That was the most important thing he had to remember, or his friend would have had no idea where to pull into orbit at. All preparations were complete, and he felt a little tinge of excitement, happy to be leaving the place and to see Jurai for the first time.

Lifting off the ground, he flew out to Ryu-oh's tree, and sat down on one of the roots that were above the water. Looking at his reflection, he smiled, remembering what Aeka had told him about this tree a couple days ago. It was really quite interesting. Apparently, before she crash-landed on Earth, this tree was actually a spaceship, or more accurately, the heart of the ship, sort of like a main computer that controls everything. She also explained that this tree was her own personal tree, which she had since she was born. Russ noticed that she was a little downcast, since she was remembering all the trips she had made with her ship.

"What's wrong? You seem a little sad," he had told her, watching her expression after she told him all about her tree and the ship, and how she crashed into the earth, forever rooting it to the soil.

"Oh, nothing," she said.

"I'm sorry that your ship cannot fly anymore, Aeka. Do you sometimes wish that it could?"

"Sometimes. A lot. Yes," she said, looking into his eyes. "I'd love for Ryu-Oh to fly once again, but that's impossible, but at least my tree survived the crash and regenerated itself."

"Yeah, I guess so. But anyway, I had meant to ask you something. When is your birthday?"

She looked at him in surprise. "Why?"

"Just curious."

"September 21, according to Earth calendar."

"Ahhh, cool. Mine is October 6," he said, getting a huge idea for a killer birthday present. His facial expression hinted that he was thinking of something.

"What are you doing?"

He turned back toward her. "I just thought of a really neat birthday present for you."

"Oh? What?"

"Ahhh no. I'm not giving away any secrets," he snickered.

"You're thinking about getting me a new ship, aren't you?"

"No, nothing like that. Where would you fly to, anyway?"

"Good point. I don't want to leave this place."

"Even though I've only been here two weeks, I don't want to leave either. I love this planet and staying here with you guys," he said, looking back toward the house where Sasami was chasing Ryo-Ohki all over the place. "It's very calm and peaceful here."

"Yes. That's why I like it here too."

"Yeah. So, have you been enjoying your ability to fly?" he asked, changing the subject.

"It's very interesting, but it gives me a feeling of freedom. I'm glad you showed me how to do that kind of thing."

"Would you like to learn something new?"

"Like what?" she asked, becoming interested.

"I could show you how to shoot energy blasts like I do."

"Thanks, but I can already do that."

"Really? I've never seen you do it before. I just saw those little log things when you were about to fry Washu," he laughed.

"It's really rare when I do that kind of thing. Strangely enough, both times that I had done it recently was against both Kagato's. When we were fighting on the Soja, Kagato had thrown Ryoko into a cement pillar, and then tried to run her through with his sword. Fortunately she dodged it, and I flung an energy ball into his face. Didn't work, though." She frowned. "There was the other time when Tenchi was fighting the imposter Yosho, who was also named Kagato. He was about to kill Tenchi, and I had flung an energy ball at him, which also didn't work."

Russ snickered. "You got to put a lot of power behind an energy blast or it won't do squat, especially against someone who is stronger than you are. If that is the case, fling only real low powered energy balls just to distract him, then nail him from behind. I speak from experience."

"You've had that kind of thing happen before?"

"Oh yes, of course. I'm strong, but I'm by no means the strongest person in existence. Remember, Zorpheus is just as powerful as I am, and he is a very skilled fighter. We're so close to being equal it isn't funny." His complexion went to concern.

"Can you tell me a little more about him, Russ?"  
"Sure. I had met him a long, long time ago. He had visited Earth with his parents, since his and my parents were good friends. The only difference between him and I is he is a Saiyan-Human hybrid. However, he loves to sprout that he's a Saiyan warrior, almost as if he's ashamed of his human qualities. He may not be a hundred percent Saiyan like me, but he's just as powerful. He likes wearing dark cloaks and odd clothes, too."

"Nagi likes wearing cloaks as well. Wonder if they're related?" she giggled.

"Heh, I have no idea. But anyway, his eyes are red. Not like mine, where I have black dots for pupils, but he has red irises and black pupils. One of the human traits that surfaced on him."

"You're kidding! Nagi also has red eyes."

Russ looked at her then scratched his head. "Freaky. But anyway, as far as the rest of him is concerned, he looks similar to Prince Vegeta. His hairstyle is similar, but more flat, and he's just a tad bit shorter than I am." He thought a moment. "Everybody says I look like Goku. Well, in a way, I guess I do. The hair is identical to his and I wear the same kind of gi he does, but I'm just a little taller than him, and my face is only slightly different from his. But I can see why people make that mistake."

"Who was Goku?"

"He was the Earth's greatest hero. He was the most powerful Saiyan in existence. He had no equal, and he was just the perfect example of a hero. He was amazing, from what I understand from record books. It's been over a thousand years since he lived. His kids carried on his legacy for a while, until the Saiyan traits began to fade due to breeding with other non-Saiyan types."

"Interesting. Well, I'm going to go back inside and watch my soap with Ryoko. It's just about that time."

Russ cringed. "Okay, have fun." Both of them stood up and flew over the lake, landing on the ground near the house. "I'm going to continue training. See you later."

"Okay, don't train too hard."

"I won't," he snickered, as she went inside and he began his enhanced gravity training at six hundred times normal gravity.

Russ continued to sit at the tree, still caught up in his daydream, and he didn't see Aeka float over the water.

"Russ? What are you doing out here?"

"Oh, hi there," he said, snapping out of his trance and greeting her with a warm smile. "Is it time to go?"

"Just about. It's quarter to noon, and it'll take Ryo-Ohki about five minutes to bring all our stuff onboard and get into orbit."

"Alright. Well, let's get Ryo-Ohki prepped and at least get our stuff loaded. My friend should already be in orbit, actually. He's usually early. We can go right now, but he won't decloak his ship until noon, so we won't know where he's at."

"What is this cloak you keep telling us about?"

"Well, it hides his ship from sensors and sight. It's really neat, actually. He can sit right in front of you and you'd never know he was there, until he either opened fire or decloaked his ship, or you ran into it on accident. You didn't know anything about cloaking devices?" he asked, looking surprised. "I figured Jurai's military would have something similar, by the way you tell me about their ships and the like."

"No, we don't have anything like that, nor have ever heard anything like it."

Russ and Aeka lifted off into the air and landed near the porch. Ryo-Ohki was sitting right outside, patiently waiting for when she was supposed to transform.

"It's a very complex piece of equipment. As far as we know, there are only a few other races out there that have this type of technology. He is a smooth bargainer, and he managed to purchase the technology and modify it to his needs."

"Wow. Sounds neat," she said, pretending to be interested.

"Well anyway, I'm sure you're not interested in techno babble. Ryo-Ohki! Are you ready?"

She meowed an affirmative, as Russ picked her up off the porch. Everybody who was sitting in the living room noticed and they all stood up, making their way outside as Russ threw the cabbit into the air and watched her transform.

"I still get a kick out of that," he laughed. "Okay! Transport all the luggage aboard, and then bring us up," he shouted up to her, who meowed in response. Bit by bit, the luggage vanished, rematerializing inside of the spaceship in her cargo hold.

A few minutes later she finished, and then transported everyone onboard. Ryoko sat down in the pilot seat, while many other chairs appeared throughout the ship.

"Okay, is everybody here? Let's see, Ryoko, Washu, Mihoshi, Kiyone, Katsuhito, Nobuyuki, Sasami, Aeka, Ryo-Ohki, Azaka, Kamadake, and myself. Okay, great. Did we lock up the house and everything?"

"I did, so there's no need to worry!" Mihoshi said from her seat next to Kiyone.

"Ryo-Ohki! Transport me back to the surface for a moment." Russ vanished and reappeared on the ground. He quickly darted to every door, checking to make certain they were locked. One door wasn't, so he quickly bolted it. Placing two fingers to his head, he teleported himself back onboard, rather than bug the cabbit.

"Okay, everything is locked NOW," he said, grinning at Mihoshi, who was giggling and scratching the back of her head. "Ryoko, take us up and put us in geosynchronous orbit with Earth."

"Why?"

Russ looked at her like she had grown a third limb. "Just do it. My friend should be real close to that spot."

"Well, okay. Let's go, Ryo-Ohki!" She meowed and shot up into the atmosphere, and a few moments later, they were at their designated height.

"Wow, she can really move fast. Okay, it's a minute till, so let's wait and see where my friend is hiding."

"He's not here."

"Oh yes he is. Just wait and see."

Everybody looked out the windows, but didn't see anything.

Russ started snickering. "Five… four… three… two… one…" he said. Just as he got to one, a massive section of space near Ryo-Ohki began to bend and fold, almost as if reality was warping next to them. Everybody gasped and Ryo-Ohki meowed a warning, and prepared to open fire with her cannon.

"Whoa, whoa! Take it easy!" he shouted. A few moments later, a huge, massive ship appeared where the spatial distortion occurred. "And there it is."

"It's… HUGE!" Ryoko sputtered, clearly in awe, as she admired the gleaming white hull.

"What kind of ship is that?" Washu asked, clearly impressed.

"Well, I'll explain it to you once we get onboard. Ryo-Ohki, fly down under the ship and there will be a huge hangar bay underneath. He'll use tractor beams to pull us in."

The cabbit meowed a shaky affirmative, but complied. They slowly moved under the massive hulk of the ship, which was bristling with weaponry. Washu pulled out her phantom computer, trying to run an analysis on the ship, but couldn't get a reading on it.

"That's some weird armor on that thing. I can't analyze it."

"I'm not surprised. But anyway, let's get onboard and I'll tell you all about it, and introduce you to my good friend who is the captain of this vessel, and who is also the owner and the man who wanted this thing built."

"Okay," Washu said, looking the ship over from end to end. "It's sixteen hundred meters in length, and I can detect a huge power output from it, too."

Everybody continued to stare at the starship as they were pulled into the hangar bay.


	10. Arrival

Ep 10 – Arrival

I'm Russell Piper, and what you're about to read is my first real attempt at a fanfiction. It's based around Tenchi Universe (Tenchi TV) and the OVA so most of the main characters you've seen from there will appear here as well. It also crosses a bit with Dragonball Z with the existence of Dragonballs and immensely powerful warriors. Ryoko and Tenchi had finally chosen to be together, and Aeka is still living at the house for now. You'll see when it happens. Anyway, I'll stop flapping my yap and let you get right to the story. Enjoy! Send all hate mail / fan mail to .

*Note: the Detroit Theater Organ Society's organ can be seen here - /mi/dtos/

**Note: Ryoko's Japanese VA, Ai Orikasa, also does Quatre from Gundam Wing (If you didn't know that already), so once you get to the point where Russ asks her to sing it, you'll understand why.

Tenchi sat in his seat aboard Ryo-Ohki, transfixed on the massive starship just outside the window. He had only seen these vessels in science fiction films, and had never, in a hundred million years, expected to see one in real life. And now, this thing was sitting only a few hundred meters away, and it sent a wave of excitement through him, mixed with worry, since the people who had used these ships were evil. Admiring the arrow shaped hull of the ship, up to the bridge which had two golf-ball like globes on top, all the way down to the underside of the vessel where the hanger bay became visible, it was the most awesome sight he ever beheld, except when he saw Aeka's ship descend to Earth when she arrived to rescue Mihoshi. But, this thing was so much larger.

Washu continued to type frantically at her keyboard, gathering as many readouts as she could through the cabbit's sensors, and everybody else more or less just stared at the craft, regarding its massive bulk and its very geometric shape. Russ stood in the middle of Ryo-Ohki, with an amused smirk creasing his lips.

"Is that thing for real?" asked Tenchi from his seat, glancing over to Russ.

He raised an eyebrow and his smile grew. "Sure is. I bet you know what kind of ship this is, don't you?"

"Yes. I've seen them in Starwars before. What are they called again? It's been a long time since I've seen those movies." He scratched his head a moment when he felt Ryo-Ohki shudder slightly. The cabbit meowed a frantic warning that something had grabbed her and was pulling her in.

"Don't worry," Russ assured her. "Those are just the tractor beams I was telling you about. He'll guide us into the bay, rather than have us try to navigate our way inside. Just let him do the work." He turned back toward Tenchi. "You were saying?" he asked, resuming his grin.

"Yes. I remember now. Isn't that thing an Imperial Star Destroyer out of Starwars?" Everybody turned to look at him, wondering what he was talking about, except for Russ, who was beaming with pride.

"Bingo! We have a winner," he said, walking over and patting Tenchi on the back. "Yes, this is an Imperial Star Destroyer. The 'Gray Wolf' is its name. Back when I lived here on Earth, my parents and the captain were good friends, and so was I. We used to watch a lot of movies together, among other things. One of the movies we saw was Starwars, somewhere around 1990. He saw those ships and decided he HAD to have one. So he took a large sum of his money and paid an army of workers to construct one. It's authentic, right down to its turbolasers. Armor, shields, the propulsion system, and the power system are all identical to the movie's counterparts. It took nearly ten years to construct this working prototype."

"Incredible. But why can it cloak? I don't remember these things being able to do that in the movies," he inquired.

"No, but they eventually get the technology to do that in the novels. Except he improved on the cloak a little, which allows him to see outside his cloaking shield. In the novels, the shield blocked everything. Light, sound, radio. Nothing could penetrate the shield. Nothing got in, nothing got out. So, he took my advice and now uses a variety of tiny little camera sensor-like things that poke themselves out just beyond the shield perimeter, which allows him to gather data outside the cloaking field. They are physically attached to the ship, since radio waves cannot penetrate the cloak. But anyway, he can see where everything is. The sensors themselves are so small that they just appear as space dust. He can see us, but we can't see him, until he decides to show himself. It's really a nifty piece of work."

Washu was eagerly listening to all the techno babble Russ was laying on Tenchi, taking notes where appropriate. "Do you think he'll let me study some of this stuff?" she asked.

Russ turned toward her. "That's up to him, but frankly, I don't think he will. This ship is VERY advanced. I wouldn't doubt that it is the most advanced vessel in existence right now. It's very powerful, and therefore, the technology is closely guarded."

Washu nodded. "Yeah, I can understand that. Maybe he'd be willing to trade secrets or technology with me. I'm sure I could think of something to improve his ship with," she replied, as she resumed typing on her computer.

Russ shrugged his shoulders in response. "Maybe. He really doesn't need anything new, but there still are some rough spots that he's still struggling to deal with on the ship. But anyway, the thing is self-sustaining, meaning it can exist in space indefinitely, without ever needing a re-supply. It's one of the most fantastic pieces of work he's ever accomplished. He's very proud of it. And I love it too, because I'm also a Starwars nut," Russ said, snickering.

Ryo-Ohki was now being pulled up into the hangar, and the interior of the ship was now visible. Red warning lights flashed in the waiting hangar bay, where Ryo-Ohki was to be parked. Several men were running around, checking to make sure everything was proceeding normally, and a few other people were waving small lights around, guiding the tractor beam controllers. Another shudder rumbled the cabbit as all of the tractor beams except one shut down. The last active one slowly pulled her into the bay, and she passed through a forcefield, which crackled with energy as she went through, letting her in and keeping the air inside the bay. A moment later, Ryo-Ohki shuddered one last time as she was gently set down on the floor, and the beam disengaged from it. Several smaller support tractor beams engaged themselves, intending to keep the ship in an upright position. The red warning lights and the blaring siren stopped a moment later. They had arrived safely onboard the most advanced starship ever conceived in this galaxy.

"We're heeeeerrrreeee," Russ announced, sounding like the little girl from poltergeist. He looked out the window and noticed a contingent of guards standing outside the ship, lined up perfectly.

"At least they're not dressed in stormtrooper outfits," Tenchi said, sighing in relief.

Russ laughed in response. "No stormtroopers here. Most everybody on this ship is very friendly and helpful, in sharp contrast to the imperial guard that used to run these ships in the movies. I think you'll like it." He moved toward the middle of Ryo-Ohki again. "Well, shall we disembark? I'd hate to keep them waiting."

A rustle of chairs and fabric greeted his ears as everybody who wasn't sitting stood up and moved next to Russ. A moment later, they were teleported outside of the cabbit-ship, onto the steel deck of the hanger bay. Several of the guards raised their eyebrows in suspicion, regarding the new arrivals. Living a life onboard the star destroyer was fulfilling, but didn't have much outside communication. They mostly just stayed in orbit around the captain's home world, always re-building and fixing the many existing bugs throughout the ship.

Ryo-Ohki meowed a few times, and then transformed herself back into a little furry cabbit. She bounded up on top of Sasami's head, which was her favorite place to be, but causing all the guards to facefault when they saw that. Everybody in the group perspired lightly, but recovered shortly thereafter. The tractor beams that were supporting her automatically tried to require the target, but it was gone, and a warning klaxon sounded. One of the operators nearby disengaged the alarm, and it fell silent. A mountain of luggage now sat where the spaceship did a moment earlier.

The captain of the ship entered the hangar bay, causing all of the men to stand at attention. He was scowling, and didn't look at all happy. His uniform was white, which resembled the imperial guard uniforms out of Starwars, but had some minor alterations, mainly to allow for his muscular frame. Slowly making his way over to the new arrivals, his footsteps echoing throughout the bay in a steady rhythm, his gaze fixated on one spiky haired individual standing at the front of the group. He stopped about a foot away from him, staring directly into his eyes, not flinching or showing any emotion. Everyone in the group looked on him with concern and worry, as they all began to fidget with various articles of clothing, or conform to their own little, nervous habits.

Russ returned the cold, hard stare, gazing down into the captain's hazel eyes, also not showing any emotion. Suddenly, the captain made a move like he was going to slug him in the face, and then grabbed him in a crushing hug, laughing heartily. A collective sigh of relief emanated from the group.

"Russ! How's it going, buddy? Long time, no see!" he yelled, grinning from ear to ear and crushing Russ in another bear hug.

"Hey, Tom! Darn right, long time no see. We have to get together more often!"

"No kidding!"

"Well, how are things? The ship looks to be in great shape! I guess nobody wants to challenge a warship out of Starwars, eh?" Russ started laughing.

"Everything has been running smoothly, more or less," he said, backing off a bit, just now noticing his contingent of passengers. "Well, you bum, aren't you going to introduce me to your friends?"

"Duh," he taunted, turning toward his entourage. "Everyone, this is Captain Thomas Franklin, the owner and captain of this vessel." Everybody gave a small bow or nod in his direction. "Now," he said, moving over to Tenchi. "This is Tenchi Masaki."

"How do you do, sir," Tenchi said while extending his hand, which Tom grabbed and shook, nearly crushing it.

"I'm doing great. Nice to meet you," he answered, looking into his brown eyes and judging his character by his appearance. He smiled and nodded his head when he was satisfied.

"Next," Russ said, moving over to the space pirate. "This is Ryoko, Tenchi's girlfriend."

She smiled at Tom, extending her hand. "Hello," she said, unsure of what to think of all of this.

Tom, on the other hand, drank in her beauty, trying to swallow the large amount of saliva that was pooling in his mouth. "Daaaaaamn," he muttered under his breath. Regaining his composure, he gently took her hand in his and shook it. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." He looked back at Tenchi, who had an amused smirk on his face. "You're sure lucky to have a beautiful woman like her as your girlfriend. Whew."

"Thanks," he answered, putting his arm around her, as if to emphasize that she was his, and nobody else's.

Russ nudged Tom in the side. "Don't even think about it. She's incredibly strong. You make a move on her and she'll kick your butt all over this Star Destroyer. Get me?"

Tom nodded in resignation, and then looked at the next lady in line. "And who's this pretty young lady?"

"This is Princess Aeka, of Jurai," Russ responded, introducing her.

Tom's eyes bulged a moment, and then offered his hand. "It's my honor to have you aboard my ship, Princess."

Aeka glared at Russ for a moment, angry that he used her title as Princess, but her gaze softened and she placed her hand in Tom's, which he gently shook. "Thank you. You do me too much credit."

He shook his head. "Nonsense. Princesses deserve to be treated as royalty."

She frowned. "I haven't been home in over a year, and I could care less about my title. Frankly, I like living as a normal person, rather than have the burden of being a Princess."

"I see. Well anyway, here, you'll be treated very well. Most everybody is very friendly and will do their best to make your stay and everybody else's stay," he said, casually gesturing to the others, "a pleasurable one."

"Thank you very much. I appreciate it."

Russ grumbled something under his breath and bumped Tom. "Enough, you old smoothie. Next to Aeka, is the pretty Princess Sasami, Aeka's younger sister," he said, gesturing to the little blue haired girl.

"Hi! Nice to meet you," she said, giving a little bow.

"Well! Aren't you so cute and polite!" he grinned, giving his own little bow. "There are a few other children onboard. Maybe later I can show you to the game room and you can have some fun!"

Her eyes widened in excitement. "Oh wow, you mean it? You have a game room on the ship?"

Tom's grin grew to enormous proportions. "Yeah, you bet. We have a huge arcade here to keep the crew occupied, and we also have something similar to Startrek's holodeck."

"Cool!" she beamed, smiling in her utterly overwhelming cuteness.

Tom chuckled lightly, then turned toward Russ. "Remind me later that I have something to give you, alright? You know how bad my memory is so don't forget."

Russ raised an eyebrow in curiosity. "Something to give me, eh? Well, I'll try to remember, but as YOU know, my memory is about as bad as yours." He chuckled. "Well anyway, the little animal on top of Sasami's head is Ryo-Ohki, their spaceship."

Tom looked at Russ, then back behind the group, and noticed the ship they arrived in was nowhere in sight. Looking back at the cabbit, a bead of perspiration formed on his head. "So, is this that cute little spaceship you told me about?"

"Sure is. Say hi, Ryo-Ohki."

In response, the cabbit meowed a couple of times, bobbing her tail back and forth. Tom reached over and petted her head, causing her to start purring lightly and meow contented little noises. He laughed in response. "Yeah, she definitely is cute. Amazing that she can transform into a spaceship. I've never seen anything like her before."

"Yeah, well, you don't get out much," he said, slapping Tom on the back. "You've spent so many years building this ship of yours that you've more or less become a hermit."

"I am not a hermit! I was just very excited about getting this thing put together and finished. And I still haven't worked all the bugs out of this contraption."

"I'm sure you will eventually. Anyway, next, introducing the resident galaxy police officers, Kiyone and Mihoshi."

Kiyone stepped forward and offered her hand. "Hello. My name is Kiyone, and this is my partner, Mihoshi," she said, gesturing to the blonde woman standing next to her.

Tom grasped her hand and shook it heartily. Trying to keep his hormones under control from staring at both beautiful ladies, he took in a deep breath and relaxed a bit. "It's a pleasure to meet you two lovely ladies."

Mihoshi giggled. "Oh my, so flattering! Thank you." She offered her hand as well, which Tom grasped a little more gently than Kiyone's, and shook it.

"You're welcome."

Russ shook his head and allowed an annoyed smirk to creep onto his expression. "MOVING ON," he growled, annoyed. "This is Little Washu, the resident scientific genius of the house."

"Ahem."

Russ looked at her, as her green eyes stared back at him, a little grin on her lips. Realization crashed through his head a moment later. "Uh, let me rephrase that. This is Little Washu, the Greatest Scientific Genius in the Universe!"

Washu's smile increased and she nodded her head in approval. She then offered her hand to Tom. "Pleased to meet you."

The captain looked back at Russ, who shrugged his shoulders, grinning. "Nice to meet you, Little Washu," he said, looking back to the red-haired scientist and taking her hand, shaking it casually.

"And this is Azaka and Kamidake, Aeka's guardians," he announced, gesturing to the two logs.

"How do you do, sir," Azaka said, his eye flashing blue as he spoke.

"We're pleased to make your acquaintance," Kamidake added, his red eye blinking with his voice.

Tom looked at both of them in interest, and then gave a bow to both of them. "It's a pleasure."

"This is Katsuhito," Russ said, gesturing to the white-robed, wizened man.

Tom extended his hand toward him, which was accepted graciously. "Welcome aboard."

"Thank you," he replied, nodding his head.

"And lastly, this is Tenchi's father, Nobuyuki," Russ said, introducing the last of his group.

"Hi," he said, smiling warmly and extending his hand.

Tom accepted it quickly and shook it. "It's nice to have you and your son come aboard."

"I appreciate you taking the trouble to take us to Jurai. We're in debited to you."

Tom put his hand up in front of Nobuyuki's face. "Nonsense. You guys don't owe me anything. I too have wanted to go to Jurai, but I never had a reason to. And it isn't often that I take my ship away from my home planet. So don't worry. Just enjoy yourself." He smiled and nodded his head.

"Thank you very much."

"Not a problem." Tom walked back toward the middle of the group and stood next to Russ. "Any friend of Russ' is a friend of mine. Feel free to go anywhere you want onboard this ship, except where the restricted areas are marked."

A chorus of "Thank you," and other various forms of gratitude were said from the group.

Tom smiled. "Well, for our first stop on our tour, let's go to the bridge and get ourselves underway, shall we?" he asked, gesturing for everybody to follow.

"Wait, what about our luggage?" Aeka said, looking mildly distressed.

"Don't worry about that. I'll have my men take your luggage to Russ' quarters. Your rooms will be right next to his, and you can sort your baggage later."

"Ahhh, I see you saved my favorite room for me. Thanks a lot."

"No problem! I always knew you'd come back onboard a few times in the future, so I decided to keep your room ready for you. I was using it for storage until you called me up a week and a half ago. But all of that stuff is gone, and your room is just as you left it."

"Awesome. Thanks a bundle."

Tom began to walk toward the hangar doors, and everybody turned to follow in a single file line. The huge, meter thick, solid steel door slid back into the wall, and everybody exited the hangar bay into a large corridor, which was lined with computer readouts and bustling with alien activity. Humanoids of all kinds were making their way around, carrying various pieces of equipment, and others were at the computer consoles. Several of the aliens weren't even humanoid at all. One resembled a wild boar, but was nearly four feet high. It carried a heavy steel pipe in its jaw, and it grunted to Tom as it walked past. He nodded in its direction, and then continued on his way to the lift and the end of the hall. The group couldn't help but admire the activity inside the corridor, but even more so the aliens that were running the ship. Most of them turned around, giving their own version of a smile and a friendly hello, which everybody returned warmly.

Tenchi looked all around him, almost feeling like he was in a dream world. The realization that he was currently walking through an alien society and technology was very overwhelming. Sure, he had been living with alien girls, but they were so close to being human that it was easy to forget their origins. Aeka, Sasami, Ryoko, Kiyone, Mihoshi, and Washu were all different in their own way, and it was easy to get attached to them, simply by looks. They didn't LOOK alien, except for the interesting hairstyles and eyes.

A blue skinned individual walked by and nodded his head toward Tenchi, a smile on his face. Tenchi returned it happily, trying to keep from staring at him. Ryoko, who was walking behind him, giggled lightly as she watched Tenchi's expression continually change from awe to wonder and back again. However, she too had never seen most of these aliens. She had heard about some of them during her time as a space pirate, but now to actually see them was amazing. Now that she thought about it, she really never fought with very many alien cultures that weren't humanoids. So few, in fact, that she could count them on one hand. But there were many more than that wandering these hallways, and all of them seemed to be very happy, as they toiled away at their jobs. She wondered what they got paid.

Washu, even though very hard to impress, couldn't help but marvel at the interior design of this ship. Most of the other vessels she had been aboard were near computer-less. Jurai ships didn't have any computers at all, and relied only on the Royal Tree for information and ship functions. Galaxy Police ships didn't have computers anywhere except on the bridge, where the functions were needed most. However, this ship was lined with computer consoles all along the walls, and in various other areas.

Each computer had near full functionality that could control nearly everything throughout the ship. They could alter anything from the temperature to the tractor beam emitters outside the hanger bay. Only thing this ship was lacking in were transporters. But, that could be easily remedied, as Washu thought that would be a good trade for some of his technology. Of course, if he refused, she could always either steal it or invent her own version of whatever interested her, but make it better. It all depended on the complexity of the items she would become attracted to.

Kiyone and Mihoshi followed everybody else, watching the activity around them. It was so much like Galaxy Police Headquarters with all the people walking through the corridor. It made her feel right at home, until Mihoshi stopped at a computer console and started pressing buttons. Fortunately, nothing apparently happened, and she eventually moved on, being dragged by the arm courtesy of Kiyone.

Everybody filed onboard the lift and the doors closed behind him or her. It was surprisingly large and roomy, and was very quiet.

A few short moments later, the lift doors re-opened onto the Star Destroyer's bridge. Consoles were lined up along most of the walls, and there must've been at least three-dozen people seated in various places around the room. The front wall was nothing but a huge window, which provided a grand view of the front hull of the starship and a huge section of space. Despite everything being steel and gray, the bridge was surprisingly comfortable. The chairs were plush and soft, and there were many other items throughout the bridge, which resembled a meeting hall rather than a warship's command structure. Everybody stood at attention when Tom made his entry.

"Captain on the bridge!" a young girl announced as Tom and his group exited the lift.

"As you were," he responded, as everybody once again took their respective seats and resumed their duties. Nobody seemed to be nervous or intimidated by Tom's presence or his group of visitors.

"As you can tell," Tom began, gesturing to the area around him. "This is the command structure, or the bridge of my ship. This is where I spend most of my time, unless someone requires my assistance with something. Doesn't happen too often though."

"I still love this. Fortunately you didn't build a Victory Star Destroyer or the bridge would be really cramped. At least, that's what I hear," Russ mentioned as he scanned the crew.

Tom scratched the back of his head and put on an out of the ordinary smirk. Russ watched him in interest, and then realized something.

"I know that look," he warned. "What are you up to now?"

Tom's only response was an increase in the size of his grin.

"Don't tell me you're building one of those Star Destroyers."

"Well, no. Not exactly."

Russ' eyes widened a little. "Okay, so now I know you're building something else. What is it?"

"You'd shit a brick of I showed you," he chuckled, watching Russ' expression grow more and more astonished.

"Hey, watch the language," Russ hissed. "There are children present." He jerked his head over to Sasami, who was giggling quietly. "You have to show me what you're building or I'll go insane. I hate it when you tease me like this."

"I know. That's why I love doing it." He walked over to the captain's chair and sat down, withdrawing a pad from one of the small shelves that were attached to the arms. He handed it over to Russ and sat back, waiting.

Russ accepted the pad and began thumbing through it, as everybody else looked on in curiosity. Suddenly, his eyes looked like they were going to bulge right out of his head as he nearly dropped the pad, his legs wobbling and his face a mask of horror and amazement. His gaze shot over to Tom, who had the biggest, goofy grin he could muster on his face. His eyebrows moved up and down as he steepled his fingers together.

"YOU'RE INSANE!!" Russ shouted, taking a look at the pad again and causing almost the whole bridge crew to start chuckling or stare at him in amusement. "You don't even have this ship running at a hundred percent yet! What are you going to do with a ship that's ELEVEN TIMES BIGGER than this one?!" The entire group except for Katsuhito facefaulted to the floor, and recovered a moment later.

"I have my ways. This ship is a little small for the amount of people and technicians I have onboard, so they all cooperated with me and agreed to build a second ship. And yes, that is an Executor class Super Star Destroyer. It's already being built. In fact, construction has been taking place over the last two years. You and your group are the only outsiders that know about it presently. Please keep it that way. It's predicted to take only five years to finish." Tom paused a moment to let that sink in. "Ever since the completion of this ship, I've had a landslide of requests from people to come live onboard because they've heard from their families how very enjoyable it is here. No money, no funds, no worries. You work when you want, and we have unlimited supplies. It's almost paradise, despite this vessel being a warship."

Ryoko nearly had a heart attack and died when she heard there was no money onboard, and Aeka had a similar reaction. Tenchi and the rest of the gang took it in stride, accepting it easily.

Russ shook his head. "I still say you're insane, but it's your money."

"I didn't spend a dime on this new vessel."

Now it was Russ' turn to facefault. "You're joking."

"Nope. This new supership's construction is taking place via the combined effort of people who want to live in peace and travel the stars. Materials and labor are all being donated to the completion of this thing. If all goes well, there may eventually be a fleet of Starwars style starships drifting the cosmos."

"Amazing. I always said you were a smooth talker," Russ chuckled. "Any other ships on the assembly line?"

"As a matter of fact, yes. Work is proceeding on some smaller escort ships, like the Nebulon B Frigate, Corellian Corvette, and a few other vessels. I want to do an interdictor cruiser, but we haven't figured out how to generate the gravity well yet. But we really don't need a ship like that for now. And yes, we're also doing a Victory Star Destroyer, despite what I said earlier."

"Interesting."

"Yeah." Tom cleared his throat. "Shall we get going then? It should take us about twelve hours to get to Jurai from here."

"Yes! To Jurai," everybody shouted, excitedly.

"Alright then! Sakuya?"

A pale, green-eyed girl turned from her position at the helm. "Yes sir?"

"Take us out of the system and set a course for Jurai."

"Aye, captain." She glanced at the group for a moment and her gaze landed on Tenchi. She hesitated, staring at him a few moments, and then turned back toward the console, hitting a few buttons.

A light rumble vibrated the deck and resonated in everybody's ears as the ship pulled out of orbit from planet Earth and began to quickly make its way out of the Solar System. Upon reaching Pluto, another smaller vessel became visible. It quickly made it's way over to the starship and pulled up alongside it.

"Ahhh, our temporary replacements have arrived," Kiyone said, looking at a different version of a Yagami class patrol ship. "It's about time, too. Oh well, at least they only have to be here a week or so."

Tom turned toward her. "So that's a GP cruiser? Interesting."

A furry individual across from the helm spoke up. "Excuse me, Captain, but that other ship is hailing us."

"Okay, put them through."

"Yes sir." He hit a few buttons on the con and an image of a red haired woman popped up, just in front of the window.

"This is the Galaxy Police ship Oragami. Identify…" She stopped herself as her eyes widened. "Kiyone?!"

"Mitzuki? What are you doing here?" Kiyone asked, hiding her amusement.

"I'm here to act as your replacement while you're away. What are you doing onboard THAT ship? I thought you'd take Ryo-Ohki?"

"No. Ryo-Ohki would take a week to get there. This ship is much faster."

"I see."

"So, why are you our replacement? What happened at Headquarters?" Kiyone asked, trying to hide a smirk, but not doing very well.

Mitzuki growled something incoherent under her breath. "I've been demoted to patrol duty again. It's just my luck that I landed this temporary one out in the middle of nowhere."

"Well, don't worry. You'll have a lot of time to kick back and relax," she stated, no longer hiding her amusement, remembering those same exact words that Mitzuki spoke to her when she had returned to GP headquarters and insulted her position.

Mitzuki ground her teeth.

"Well, we must be going. Take it easy, Mitzuki!"

Her expression went livid as she cut the comm. channel. Kiyone exploded laughing in response to her temper.

"That's not very nice to tease her like that, Kiyone," Mihoshi said, looking at her partner's glee.

"I know, but it was worth it. I finally got a little payback for all those little insults of hers."

Tom shook his head as the two girls conversed back and forth. "Sakuya, are we set to go to hyperspace yet?"

"Just about, sir. The computer is plotting the final trajectory now. Never mind, it just finished. Ready to initiate hyperspace on your mark."

"Go ahead. Let's make tracks," he said, sitting back in his chair.

Sakuya hit the button to engage the hyperdrive, but a loud whining sound echoed throughout the ship, winding down to almost nothing, when the ship shuddered violently as it sat in place, like an immovable boulder.

Tom furrowed his eyebrows together as Russ looked over at him, his expression mixed with amusement and annoyance. Tom began grinding his teeth, infuriated that this just had to happen with everybody watching.

"This is NOT the Millennium Falcon!" Russ said, loudly, and drawing a chuckle from Tenchi. "What went wrong?"

"Dammit! Something happened with the hyperdrive! They told me they had this problem licked! Open a comm. channel to the engine room!"

"Yes sir."

An infuriated roar of a wookie blared through the intercom, causing Tenchi and Russ to collapse to the floor and everyone else to break out in sweat drops. The sound of a man in the background could be heard shouting orders to the personnel and the wookie.

"Hand me the hydrospanner!"

The wookie roared a response as it apparently tossed him the said part.

"No! This is a thetaspanner! Give me the hydrospanner!"

The sound of a hundred parts crashed through the intercom system.

"OWWWWW! You bonehead!"

Another roar from the wookie intoned that the guy should know better. A moment later the chief engineer got on the intercom.

"I'm sorry, sir. The hyperdrive motivator is shot. It'll take us about two hours to repair or replace the thing. We're working as quickly as we can."

Tom groaned loudly. "How did that happen? We had that thing working smoothly for an entire year!"

"I know sir, but some weird commands were entered on a console near the hanger bay. Apparently it caused an overload when we went to initiate the hyperdrive."

Mihoshi put on her guilty look as Kiyone stared at her in barely controlled fury. "THIS IS ALL YOUR FAULT, MIHOSHI!" she screamed, grabbing her shirt and violently shaking her back and forth, ready to kill her partner.

"I'm sorry! I thought it was a computer game or something," she whined.

"Can't you keep your hands off of ANYTHING!? You even blew up Yagami's engines more than once when Washu was trying to fix them! Now you blew up this thing's engine!"

"I'm sorry," she said again, starting to cry.

Kiyone ground her teeth, but allowed some of her anger to subside. "I'm sorry, Tom, for my partner's actions. If you want, we'll go to the engine room and try to help fix it."

Tom looked on both of them in mild amusement, allowing his frustration to dissolve into nothing. "Don't worry about it. We'll have it fixed in two hours. I'll just have all the computer consoles ignore any commands given by her, so something like this won't happen again."

"Thank you, sir, for being so forgiving," Kiyone said, giving a small bow in appreciation.

Tom looked at Kiyone's partner, who resembled a small child who was in trouble. "Come here, Mihoshi."

"Yes sir," she answered quietly, as she slowly made her way over and stood in front of Tom.

"Okay. Computer, ignore all commands given by Mihoshi on all computer consoles."

"Affirmative," it answered, in Russ' voice.

Russ arched an eyebrow and grinned. "Since when did you do that?"

Tom smiled. "I like your voice for the computer. But I can change it to anything I please, if it bothers you." He turned back toward Mihoshi. "It's all done. You can go stand with your partner again."

"It doesn't bother me at all," Russ replied, as Mihoshi resumed her position next to Kiyone. "But why pick my voice? I thought you'd use Startrek's computer voice if anything."

"Nah, that one was too annoying. Well anyway," he muttered, glancing around the bridge. "Sakuya, when the hyperdrive gets repaired, call me back up here."

"Yes sir," she said, turning toward him, but locking her gaze on Tenchi again.

Tom turned toward the group. "When we enter hyperspace, it's really neat to see. I'll bring you guys back up here once we're ready to go."

"Alright, sounds good," Tenchi responded. "Can you show us to our quarters so we can get our stuff put away?"

"Of course! Russ? Would you do the honors?"

"No problem. I assume you want to oversee the repairs to the engines?"

"Yeah. I have to make sure that man didn't get killed by the wookie," he chuckled.

"Okay, then I'll see you in a little bit." Russ turned toward everyone. "Okay, follow me!" He moved back over to the lift and everybody filed onto it. The doors slid shut and they were whisked away to the living quarters.

Tom watched them leave, and then sat back in his seat, rubbing his head in his hands. He opened an eye and noticed Sakuya was still staring at the lift.

"What's wrong with you?" he asked, concerned.

Suddenly realizing she wasn't paying attention to her job, she blushed slightly. "I'm sorry sir. I just think Tenchi is cute."

"Don't even think about it. The blue haired woman is his girlfriend, and I don't think she'd take kindly to any interference," he said, causing her happy mood to dissolve. "I'm sorry, but I'm only telling you this for your own good. From what Russ told me, she could kick MY butt all over this ship."

"I understand, sir. I'm sorry for neglecting my duties."

He waved a hand. "Think nothing of it. I must go to the engine room now and see what's going on. Call me if something else blows up or whatever."

"Aye, sir," she said, feeling a little better and resuming her data analysis on the computer console.

Russ and his party entered the area where their living quarters were located. Leading them into the hallway, and then to his room, he keyed the command to open the door and it slid into the wall, revealing a very large suite, complete with a king size bed, a hot tub, and many other high-class amenities. In the middle of his room, a mountain of luggage was piled neatly, awaiting its owners.

Entering his quarters, Russ gestured for everybody to follow. Once they entered, he closed the door behind them and then turned toward the group. "Okay, so, how are we going to handle the sleeping arrangements if you guys want to rest a while before we arrive at Jurai? I know Ryoko and Tenchi want to be together, Aeka and Sasami would probably want to be together, along with Azaka and Kamidake, Kiyone and Mihoshi will be together, but what about the rest of you?"

"Nobuyuki and I will take a room, if that's okay," Katsuhito informed Russ.

"Aw, but dad, I wanted to join Ryoko and Tenchi in their room."

"DAAAAD!!" Tenchi growled, angrily.

"What?"

"Come on! Give me a break!" he argued, turning red. Ryoko giggled lightly, taking it in good humor. Aeka couldn't help but giggle as well. Russ stood there with his forehead beading with sweat.

"Nobuyuki and I will take our own room. Got it?" Katsuhito announced again, glaring at his son in law.

He sighed in resignation. "I guess so."

"I'll just have my own room. I have some work I need to get done before we get to Jurai," Washu informed Russ.

"Okay, no problem."

"Thanks."

"Well, since that is settled, grab your luggage and just pick a room along the hallway on this side." He thought a moment, and then counted the number of groups again. "Oh crud. He didn't give us enough rooms. We're one short. Well, there are a couple of options. I can buzz Tom and have him set us up with another room, or if one of you guys don't mind, you can share my room with me." He looked at the group who glanced at each other. "It's up to you guys what you want to do."

Aeka looked at Sasami, then back at Russ. "We'd be willing to share a room with you, if you'll have us, Russ."

His gaze went from mild surprise, to a warm smile. He nodded in agreement. "Sure. I can set you guys up here in the living room."

"Great," she answered, smiling at Sasami. Everybody else looked at each other and exchanged a knowing glance, smiling slightly.

"Okay, that's settled then. Grab your bags and take them to your rooms. Let's get rid of this pile of luggage!"

Everybody complied and picked up his or her bags, then preceded to occupy their temporary quarters. They weren't as extravagant as Russ' were, but they were nice and comfortable, especially only for a twelve hour trip. Futons were laid out, beds were made, and everybody got familiar with the available items in their rooms, including the food replicators.

Making sure everybody was settled into his or her new quarters, and demonstrating the replicator's use, Russ returned to his own quarters, where Aeka and Sasami both began to lay out futons in the living room. However, he had other ideas.

"No need for that. You two can take the bed. I'll either sleep on the couch or something."

"That isn't necessary. You got us this transportation to get us to Jurai very quickly, and I simply won't hear of you not getting to sleep in your own bed."

Russ growled to himself. "And the Princess of Jurai should sleep like a princess, instead of like a big, dumb barbarian like myself," he said, snickering.

She blushed slightly. "I'm sorry about calling you that. It was rude of me."

He shook his head and waved it off. "I was insulting you too, Aeka. Don't worry about it, and I'm sorry too."

She smiled and nodded her head. "Apology accepted."

Sasami looked at the two of them when her stomach croaked lightly. "Oh no! I never made or ate any lunch! What are we going to do about food?"

"That's no problem here, Sasami. Watch this," Russ said, making his way over to a hole in the wall, surrounded by pushbuttons. "What would you like to eat?"

She thought a moment, and decided on something simple. "I want just plain old pickles and miso soup."

"Anything to drink?"

"Tea, I guess."

"Okay." He hit a few buttons on the wall, and then spoke. "Pickles, miso soup, and tea."

The air inside the hole shimmered for a few moments, then two bowls appeared, one with pickled rice and the other filled with a random flavor of miso soup. A cup of tea sat next to those two items, and a pair of chopsticks laid across the rice bowl. Everything sat on a large, plastic tray, complete with a paper napkin.

Russ carefully lifted the meal and brought it over to Sasami, smiling with pride. "Enjoy your lunch!"

She gasped in surprise. "Wow! That was so cool! How did it do that?" she asked, excitedly.

"Uhhh, frankly, it would be quite difficult to explain. Washu would probably be the only one to understand it."

"Oh," she answered, taking a seat at the table near the middle of the room. She dug in to her rice and ate a few bites, then washed it down with some of the soup. "Mmmm," she said, licking her lips. "This is pretty good."

"Probably not as good as a real meal, but it does the job decently. What about you, Aeka? Are you hungry?"

"Not really. I'm just thirsty. Some tea would be nice."

"Coming right up." He made his way back over to the replicator and ordered a cup of tea. After it materialized, he removed it from the hole. "Give me a Mountain Dew," he demanded, as the replicator produced a tall glass of green liquid, which was fizzing slightly. Several ice cubes floated in the concoction as well.

Handing Aeka her tea, he took a long drink of his soda, letting out a satisfied, "Ahhh." She looked at him curiously, then at his drink.

"What's that?"

"Mountain Dew, the beverage of gods and hyperactive individuals who love a sugar rush," he said, laughing. "I haven't drank one of these in a long time, and I had to have one."

She raised an eyebrow, growing more curious by the minute. Looking back at her tea, then back at Russ' drink, she decided she wanted to try a Mountain Dew as well. "Can you put this back and give me one of those?" she asked, pointing at his drink.

"I don't know if you'll like it or not. But you can try it, I guess." He took her tea back to the replicator and it dissolved from view. Ordering another soda, it appeared a moment later, and he handed it off to Aeka, who accepted it happily.

"Thank you." She raised the glass to her lips, but the fizz from the soda hit her in the nose, causing her to scrunch her face slightly, and she started giggling. Trying again, she took a drink of the stuff, feeling the bubbles on her tongue, and then swallowing. She looked back up at Russ and smiled, and took another drink. "This is really weird, but it tastes very good. It's sweet."

"That's what I love about it. Good stuff. This is actually an Earth beverage. When I was living with you guys, I kept raiding the fridge, hoping to find some soda or pop that I used to drink when I lived in America. Unfortunately, seems only healthy stuff made its way into the cooler."

"That's Sasami's doing. She always worries about everybody eating healthy."

"That's considerate of her. But this pop isn't really healthy at all. It's full of sugar, which is why it's so sweet, and it has really no nutritional value. But that's why it tastes so good!" he said, bouncing lightly on his heels.

"Hmmm, well, it is good. I like sweet stuff from time to time."

"Yeah? You like candy and sweets?" he asked, making his way over to a large, black leather sofa and taking a seat, making the couch produce a "foosh" sound.

She followed, taking a seat next to him. "Yeah. Although it drives Sasami crazy when I eat it. She always warns me about it rotting my teeth or making me fat."

Russ chuckled lightly, and Sasami glared at her sister for a moment, before returning to her lunch. "It won't make you fat if you eat it in moderation. A few sweets a day would never hurt anybody."

"That's my favorite excuse," she giggled.

Russ sat back and let out a sigh, and a moment later, he chuckled lightly. Aeka looked at him in mild amusement.

"What's so funny?"

He turned toward her and grinned. "I was just thinking about the Star Destroyer's engines blowing up. It isn't the first time something like this happened. You should've seen this thing when he first finished it. Half the time we thought it was going to blow itself to smithereens from the roughness of the power source and the engines." Closing his eyes, he continued. "The first time we took this thing into hyperspace was really scary. It nearly shook itself to pieces from the incredible stresses of traveling so fast. But the funny part was that Tom never put up the stupid navigation shields to protect us. He turned this ship upside down while trying to find the problem, only to find out it could've been solved with the push of a button. But anyway, he did find some other trouble spots that he smoothed over during his scrutiny." He opened his eyes and sat up to a more comfortable position. "However, he did finally get this ship running in tip-top shape, and it made it here without a hitch. Too bad about Mihoshi though," he snickered, shaking his head.

Aeka smiled sweetly. "She's always been like that, being so carefree. Sometimes I wonder why Kiyone hasn't killed her yet."

"They are a comical pair, that's for sure. Order and chaos, all rolled into one package."

"Yeah. So," she began, changing the subject. "What is there to do on this ship?"

Russ grinned. "Just about whatever you want. There are many things to keep us occupied. There's a game room, which has all kinds of entertainment items to keep us busy, such as arcade machines, video games, virtual reality simulators, and other items of interest. The holodeck is a very advanced piece of technology that can simulate any kind of environment. In a way, it's like… well… um… what's a good way to describe it." He scratched his head, pondering over a simple explanation, but not really coming up with a clear example. "Well, in a way, it's similar to a virtual reality videogame, but with real locations and stuff. For instance, if you wanted to walk along the beach of a fantasy planet, such as Risa, we could call that program up in the computer, and we can actually walk through it. Even though its all computer generated, it appears real. The sand at your feet, the waves crashing into the shore, and the sights and sounds of the beach fill each and every physical sense, even though all of it isn't real. If walking along a beach isn't your fancy, there are others to choose from. You can race a car around a track, going nearly two hundred miles an hour, or you can fly a spaceship and battle against evil aliens, or you can even attend a concert, if you want. It's really a neat thing to mess with."

"I think I get it. You're saying that we can, in a way, go to those places, but we never leave the room?"

"Sort of like that, yes. Maybe later we can check it out. Or, we can take a walk now, and I can give you sort of an abbreviated tour of the ship. Sasami can come along too, if she wants," he offered, turning to look at her, who smiled and nodded her head.

Sasami finished her dinner and she made her way over to a large, black leather chair, similar to a lazy-boy recliner that sat at an angle, facing the stars outside the ship. There wasn't much else to see, since they were so far away from Earth, and no other planets were nearby. She turned toward the couple on the couch. "I'd like that. Can we go see the game room first?"

Nodding, Russ stood up from the couch, offering his hand to Aeka, which she graciously accepted, as he gently pulled her to her feet. Ryo-Ohki bounded up to Sasami, meowing quietly, then jumping on her shoulder to come along.

"Why not transform yourself into your human form? You can play the games with Sasami. There should be other kids there, as well as adults, playing the games," Russ suggested to the cabbit.

In response, she transformed into her child form with an audible 'pop.' She was dressed in a long, blue t-shirt, with a carrot logo on the front, as usual.

"Well, let's go. I'll ask the others if they'd want to come along… or better, I'll just tell them that they can go off on their own and explore the ship. And they won't need to worry about getting lost. The computer knows where everybody's quarters are. All of you have been entered into the computer, and all you'd have to do is ask the computer where the quarters are, and it'll guide you right back to here."

"That sounds good. It would be real easy to get lost on a ship this size, especially with all the hallways."

"There are multiple decks too. Plus there are some ten thousand, if not more individuals onboard this vessel. But anyway, enough babble. Let's go," he said, and quickly returned the lunch tray and the empty glasses of tea and pop into the replicator, and it dissolved from view.

Russ, Ryo-Ohki, Aeka, and Sasami all exited his quarters, and the door sealed itself when they left. He knocked on Tenchi's door, and it slid open, revealing him standing there with Ryoko languidly draped over his neck.

"I just wanted to tell you guys that you can go anywhere you want onboard the ship. If you get lost, you can ask the computer where your quarters are, or how to get to another part of the ship. There are game rooms, places to eat, if you don't want to eat here in your room, and other various things. I think there is even a tour mode for the computer, which will guide you around the entire ship. The four of us are going to the game room, so enjoy yourselves."

"Thanks a lot, Russ. I do appreciate you and your friend for taking us to Jurai. And I'm sorry Mihoshi blew up the engines."

"Yeah, yeah. I've heard enough apologies about that. Don't worry. It has happened before. Now, go enjoy yourselves or I'll lock you in here," he said, grinning.

They nodded and retreated back into their room, debating on where to go. Russ went to everybody else's door and told them the same thing, before proceeding on his way to the game room.

Two hours passed by very quickly, and Tom paged Russ and his party over the intercom, asking them to head up to the bridge. Since everyone was in a different part of the ship, they all arrived separately, but in good time. They all approached the captain, who was sitting in his chair, and he smiled when they came up to him.

"The engines are repaired and we're ready to go. I just wanted you to see this." He looked toward the helmsman. "Sakuya, take us to Jurai, normal cruising speed."

"Aye, captain," she said, hitting a few keys on the console and then engaging the hyperdrive.

The ship shuddered slightly, then began moving forward very rapidly. A force of inertia was felt, even through the inertial dampeners. The visible stars in the window blurred and streaked past the window, and then everything faded into starlines, looking like a tunnel of rainbow colors that swirled around the ship in a corkscrew fashion. Gasps came from the passengers from looking at the sight, awed by the beauty and almost hypnotic colors of hyperspace. Russ and Tom both grinned, satisfied with their reaction.

"We should arrive at Jurai in a little less than twelve hours. Feel free to do whatever you please. Go to the game room, or take a walk through one of the many cafeterias, or do whatever else you may find of interest. Take a nap if you feel like it. My ship is your ship. Just don't try to blow anything up again," he said, winking at Mihoshi, who blushed and looked away shyly.

Everybody bowed in appreciation, and then proceeded to the lift. Russ elbowed Tom in the arm lightly. "Thanks a lot, for taking all of us to Jurai. I really do appreciate it. And I'm sorry about Mihoshi's clumsiness."

"Bah, don't worry about it. I told you that before. Shit happens." He shrugged his shoulders.

"Yeah, I guess you're right."

"Well, go join your girlfriend and show her around or something," Tom recommended, nudging Russ in the ribs.

Nearly having a heart attack, he blushed fiercely and glared at the captain. "She is NOT my girlfriend. None of them are."

"Bullshit. You mean to tell me that purple haired woman isn't your girlfriend? Look how she's staring at you right now," he said, glancing over Russ' shoulder.

Russ carefully peeked back toward the lift, and sure enough, Aeka was watching him with a smile on her lips. She casually folded her hands in front of her and shyly looked down to the floor. "She's not my girlfriend. However, she is attracted to me, or so the others say. But I don't want a girlfriend right now. I've got far more important things to worry about."

"Like what? There's a gorgeous girl over there that seems to want you, and you're just going to walk on by? I can't stand it when you DO this. Every girl who has ever held an attraction to you, you just become friends and nothing more! Why?!" he growled, flustered.

Tom was getting really irritated over Russ' constant dodging of relationships. Having been in a relationship only once, he knew what Russ was missing, and it drove him bananas. Why on earth would a man not want a mate for himself? Why keep dodging the cupid's arrow? Tom couldn't understand it, although he has tried many times. Many women have held attraction to Russ before, but the only thing he allowed himself to do was become friends. Several more aggressive women have tried to pressure him into a relationship, but he brushed it off, or avoided that person from that moment on.

Tom had asked Russ on multiple occasions as to why he never wanted to get involved. However, he always wound up with a non-definite answer. He'd dodge the question, or out of dumb luck, would get an interruption that would save his rear.

Watching Russ, he could see that he was nervous and was again looking to dodge the question. And by the changing look on his face, he just found one.

"I'll argue about this with you another day. They're waiting for me," said Russ, turning toward the group and making a hasty retreat.

"You're damn right we're going to discuss this later. I still have that present to give you too, so we'll discuss it then," Tom called after him as Russ got on the lift and the door closed behind him.

"What was that all about?" asked Aeka, after Russ jumped on the lift and let out an exasperated sigh.

"He's just being an a…" he stopped himself and tried to think of an insult that wasn't as offensive. "He's being an idiot. He does this kind of thing to me all the time. Drives me crazy."

"Sorry about that." Then more quietly, she spoke again. "He was arguing about me, wasn't he?"

Russ froze for a moment and hesitated. "Nothing you need to worry about," he said, in an unconvincing voice. He turned toward her and looked upon her with sad eyes. "Please, just drop it," he begged.

"Okay. I'm sorry." Her complexion turned slightly depressed as she looked away from him.

Russ shook his head and let out another sigh. "I need to take my mind off of those troubles. You guys can go wherever you want. I'm going to the holodeck to load up the music program of mine."

"What's that?"  
"Basically a concert hall type deal with an ultra huge organ on the stage. Instead of synthesized instruments, it uses real ones. And I can enter songs into it by thought transfer. I'm just going to go over there and play for a while."

"Would you mind if I joined you? I like listening to your music, and you haven't played any music for a while." Aeka smiled up at him.

"If you want."

"Would you mind if the rest of us joined you as well? Aeka's not the only one who likes listening to your stuff," Washu asked from behind Russ.

He nodded. "If you would like to. It's been a little while since I've played it last. I can't wait to do it again." Now smiling, he continued. "It's real easy to compose music onto that thing because of the thought transfer feature. I can basically play a song in my head, and I can install it on the organ, then I can play it. It's way faster than using the organ back at your place."

Aeka raised an eyebrow at his statement of 'Your place.' Didn't he think that their home was his home? Strange. However undaunted, she smiled and nodded as the lift came to a stop, right next to the said holodeck.

Russ and company exited the lift and entered the room, which only resembled an area with black squares divided by yellow lines in a checkerboard configuration.

"This is your holodeck? I thought this was going to be a concert hall?" asked Sasami, who was standing next to him in confusion.

"Wait a moment." He turned his attention to a computer console and hit a few buttons. "Computer, load up 'Russ Organ.'" The air inside the room shimmered a moment, and then they were instantly on stage of the theater.

"Oh my… That's really amazing," Aeka exclaimed, admiring the view of the place.

A massive organ, even larger than the Detroit Theater Organ Society's Wurlitzer, sat on the stage in the center. Six long keyboards, a set of foot pedals for the organ, and another set for the piano, and six separate volume pedals presented themselves on the instrument. Hundreds of little levers and switches were laid out in a semi-circle around the entire console. It was truly a sight to behold.

"You're going to play that thing?"

"Yup. I've done it before." He made his way over to the organ and switched it on. The sound of rushing air made it to everybody's ears.

Washu summoned her computer and typed in a few things, analyzing the holographic technology. "Russ? Everything in here is real," she announced, looking at him over her screen.

"No it isn't. Everything in here is computer generated. They use something similar to holographic technology, but it's actually called particle synthesis, which can even fool the most advanced sensors. We just call it a holodeck because it's easy to remember, and we were trekkies as well. We just liked Starwars a whole lot more," he said, winking.

"Impressive. Really. This is the first time I've actually run into technology that I haven't seen or invented before."

"Then this must be quite a learning experience for you."

"Yup."

"Well anyway, why don't you guys take a seat down in one of the rows, and I'll play for a while," he suggested, gesturing with his hand to the hundreds of rows of chairs.

"Thank you," Aeka said, as she and the group made their way offstage and took a seat in the first row. Russ sat down on the bench and hit a few keys, and the sound of trumpets sang their notes quite loudly, but not uncomfortably loud.

"This will be fun," Russ said to himself as she brought up the first song he wanted to play. "I haven't done this one in a while. Nice and long too." He pressed a few buttons and many sounds and sound effects rumbled out of nowhere, almost startling the audience. Quickly typing on a nearby computer keyboard, he entered the song title, and a variety of huge screens behind the organ appeared, showing different camera angles and scrolling the song title. 'Babylon 5 – Variations on a Theme' moved across the bottom of the screen as Russ began to play a variety of instruments. His hands flew across two of the keyboards as his left foot pressed the foot pedals in perfect time, and his right foot adjusted two of the volume pedals simultaneously, as the other instruments continued to play automatically.

Everyone's silence from the audience told him they were definitely impressed with the dramatic improvement of the sound quality. The chairs vibrated slightly with the bass notes and drumbeats, adding an awesome thrill to feel the sound as well as hear it. They all listened eagerly for a few minutes, and then the holodeck door slid open again as several other aliens poked their head in, unnoticed by everybody else, since the door was at the very back of the theater. They entered and took seats throughout various parts of the hall, listening to his music.

It wasn't long before the hall began to fill up at a more rapid pace. Aeka just happened to sense something odd and she looked behind her, seeing nearly a hundred people seated in the chairs, and more coming in. The others noticed and looked too, and smiled in satisfaction.

Over thirteen minutes later since the beginning of the song, Russ finally wound it down and finished it, and a roar of applause from behind him rang in his ears. Taking a deep breath, he stood and bowed, as the audience continued to applaud. Surprising to Tenchi and his family, Russ smiled and sat back down, and typed in another song onto the keyboard. 'Theme to Armageddon' began to scroll across the bottom of the screen as he loaded up the said song and began to play.

The audience continued to grow in size, becoming larger and larger. Soon, nearly a thousand people sat in the seats, and still more were filing in, all enjoying the music.

Russ played numerous different pieces. Titles he played included the theme to Air Force One, An American Symphony, which was from Mr. Holland's Opus, and The Last Starfighter. Other songs he played included several tracks from the Kull the Conqueror soundtrack, covering the 'Ship Brawl' scene and 'Kull's Escape.' He really enjoyed doing those because it sounded like a normal orchestra, and then it started kicking with electric guitars and other various instruments that you'd never expect to hear. 'Ship Brawl' was his favorite though. He had a smile on his face the entire time he played that title, especially once it got rolling with the 'extra' instruments.

After while, he switched gears from orchestrated only songs to something a little more interesting, so he began to play songs from Robert Miles. Songs such as Children, the original and dreamland versions, Landscape, and Red Zone, all graced the audience, including others.

An hour and a half later, he finally stopped and stood up, the roar of applause almost deafening. He bowed graciously and then spoke, and surprisingly, his voice carried over everybody quite loudly from the intercom system.

"Thank you very much. I need a quick break. We'll take a fifteen minute intermission or whatever, and then I'll play a little more."

The murmuring of the audience increased in volume as hundreds of people got up from their seats and made their way to the concession stand, which was also a part of Russ' program. Popcorn, drinks, and other snack foods were served to the people, as they all idly chattered with each other.

Russ jumped down off the stage and landed with a heavy thud on the floor in front of his group. "So, have you been enjoying the performance?" he asked, grinning, and knowing full well what the answer was going to be.

"I knew you were good, but I had no idea you were THIS good," Aeka said, smiling widely. "You're fantastic. Even though some of the songs were quite… interesting, you made them all sound great."

"I agree. You are really good at this. It even makes me want to try it sometime," Tenchi added, grinning. Nobuyuki smiled at hearing that, as did Katsuhito.

"How come you're not panicked from being in front of so many people, yet, you were so paranoid in front of just us?" Aeka asked.

"I really don't know. Performing in front of huge groups of people doesn't really bother me a whole lot. Performing in front of individuals, on occasion, makes me nervous."

"But why?" she persisted.

Russ shrugged his shoulders. "I guess it's because I can be ridiculed so much more easily. Not that you guys specifically would do that, but I've done stuff in front of other small groups, and it's real easy to hear one of them start bashing me. That's where my nervousness comes from."

"Oh, I'm sorry to hear that. But anyway, you've done a fantastic job with the music you've played so far."

"Yes, I think we'd all agree to that," Ryoko added.

"Thanks a lot guys. Now, I had some… other ideas." He turned toward Sasami. "How would you like to get up on stage and sing, 'I'm a Pioneer' in front of everybody? I'm sure they'd love to hear it."

"Really? You think they would? But… I'm a little scared about doing that in front of so many people," she said, worriedly, but excited at the prospect of doing a live performance.

"Don't worry about anything like that. Everybody here won't care if you accidentally make a mistake. Even I make mistakes from time to time, and nobody says anything about it. They're very polite here."

She smiled and contemplated it for a few moments, then nodded her head in agreement. "Okay! I'll sing it on stage for you."

Russ chuckled. "Alright." He turned toward the rest of the group. "Would you guys like to come on stage and sing as well? You can do the songs I wrote for you." He snapped his fingers, and six microphones appeared onstage. Small, dark, phantom computer screens phased in just behind the microphones, resembling Washu's computer in appearance. A mic. also appeared on the organ. "We'll do only the songs you've done before, so you'll be more comfortable with it."

Ryoko, Aeka, Tenchi, Washu, and Mihoshi all looked at each other, worried expressions crossing their faces. "Um… I don't think I'm ready to perform in public yet," Aeka said, nervously.

"The same goes for me too," Mihoshi added.

"Ditto," Washu said.

"Aw, come on! It'll be fun! I won't have you do it right this minute, since I'm going to do a few other songs I composed for you guys. But once I finish, you're welcome to come up on stage and sing."

"I don't think so, Russ. I'm sorry." Aeka didn't meet his gaze.

"Aww, spoiled sport. Oh well. At least Sasami isn't chicken," Russ teased.

Aeka glared at him. "I am not chicken! I just don't want to."

Russ' grin expanded a little. "Yeah right. Well anyway, Sasami, you can do your song. Do you want to do it right after intermission, or do you want to do it after I do a few others?"

"After you do your songs," she said, smiling excitedly.

"Okay. I'll be right back. I got to use the restroom." Russ leaped back on the stage with ease and walked behind a curtain. He returned a few minutes later and checked the time, noticing that most people were back in their seats, and the rest of them were still filing down the aisles. Stepping toward the middle of the stage in front of the organ, he waited for everybody to get seated. He bowed, and a polite applause reverberated the hall as he took a seat at the bench again. Placing his left hand against the panel that accepted music via thought, he transferred the first song he wanted to perform. It took about ten seconds, and then he turned toward the standard computer keyboard and entered the song title. 'Sad Aeka (Aeka Bojo)' scrolled across the bottom of the screens. Just under that, in smaller print, said, 'Debut.'

Aeka looked at the title and raised her eyebrows in surprise, as did Sasami and Tenchi. The rest of them turned to look at the princess, and she shrugged her shoulders in response. She turned her attention back to Russ as he began to play.

Sounds of sad piano notes filled the auditorium, and were eventually joined by other instruments. The camera that displayed Russ' face showed that he wasn't smiling at all, but wasn't really concentrating either. He actually looked sad, despite his lips twitching themselves into a grin from time to time.

The princess watched him and how carefully he tapped each key in sequence, and realized that must be the song he thought of when he saw her on the first day. She also thought about the day she was supposed to leave with Sasami, and how unhappy she felt as she stood near the lake and quietly sobbed to herself while thinking about Tenchi. Strangely enough, Ryoko, Tenchi, Sasami, Nobuyuki, Katsuhito, and Mihoshi all thought about that day as well, and how Aeka must've felt.

Russ continued to play, and an uncharacteristic silence fell over the audience, as they watched his expression on the screen. They knew that he felt the emotion of the song, but was trying to hide it. He almost looked a little misty as he drew the song to a close.

Polite applause greeted his ears as everybody congratulated his new masterpiece. He stood and bowed.

"Thank you," he said, after the applause died down. "That was for one of my new friends that I met just recently. I hope she liked it," he said, glancing at Aeka, who smiled and nodded in return. He let out a sigh of relief.

"I have a few more that I'm going to do, then we'll have some fun!" He sat back down on the bench and again placed his hand on the pad, transferring another song. He again turned toward the other computer keyboard and entered the song title, 'Ryoko's Theme.' And under that, remained the 'Debut' word.

It was now Ryoko's turn to smile as she held Tenchi's hand and watched Russ begin playing. Surprisingly, the song was a stark contrast to the previous song he had played. It was considerably happier and faster paced. The first thing that ran though her mind was the first time she tried to seduce Tenchi in the cave. It was quite amusing, especially the trek just to get to where Washu was imprisoned. It fit the mood perfectly.

Tenchi chuckled lightly as he squeezed Ryoko's hand and also thought about that time. Too bad he couldn't go back and redo that entire episode again. He would've been far more willing if he could.

Russ finished the song and immediately jumped into a different mix of the same thing, without missing a beat. And after he finished that one, he remixed it again and did the same song a third time. Once he finished, more applause emanated from the audience in appreciation. He placed his hand on the transfer pad once again for a few moments.

Turning around once again, Russ bowed. "Thanks a lot, everyone. But now, I'd like to introduce one of my friends, who I'd like to bring up here to sing for you guys! Please give a warm welcome for Sasami Jurai!"

The audience began clapping as Russ began to play 'Happy Sasami' on the organ. The little princess stood up and skipped over to the stairway and came up on stage, and waved at everybody. They applauded a little louder and with a lot of enthusiasm, and Sasami smiled, reveling in the acceptance. She approached one of the microphones and it automatically lowered itself to her level. Russ faded out her theme and stopped.

"Are you ready?"

"Yes!" she said, full of excitement.

Turning back toward the organ, he transferred the song and began to play, and Sasami began to sing as the audience fell quiet. She sang loud and clear, and her voice carried to the far reaches of the concert hall. The screen behind the microphone displayed the lyrics, just in case she forgot them, and the larger screens behind the organ changed part of their focus to Sasami, displaying her from various angles as the lyrics scrolled across the bottom of each screen, and the title, 'I'm a Pioneer' remained on the thing as well.

A deafening roar of appreciation exploded from the audience when she finished, nearly causing her to jump out of her skin. A standing ovation ensued, and people where whistling loudly and cheering at the top of their voice, as well as applauding. It was unlike any sensation she had ever felt before, and she never felt so good as she did at that moment. Russ stood up and moved next to Sasami and waved his hands, drawing a loud cheer, and then he pointed both his hands at Sasami, drawing a mind-blowing roar of shouts from the audience. He bent down, giving her a hug, thanking her, and then she and Russ bowed to the audience. Russ allowed her to take a seat up on stage, materializing a chair with the snap of a finger. Aeka smiled at her sister and congratulated her, as did everybody else, even though she could barely hear him or her over the still approving audience.

"Up next, I'd like to invite a few more friends up here on stage to sing as well. Little Washu! Come on up here!" he announced, waving her up on stage and drawing a polite applause from the audience.

Washu looked at him with horror written all over her face as she shook her head rapidly, and mouthed the words, "No way," refusing to get up.

Russ smirked. "She needs a little more encouragement, audience!"

In response, the applause nearly doubled in volume and others started cheering. Finally becoming flustered and knowing that Russ was as stubborn as a mule, she tossed her hands up in the air and smiled, waving to the audience as she came up on stage. Moving over to Russ, she whispered in his hear. "I'm going to turn you into a water sprite once we're done here." An evil gleam twinkled in her eye. Russ just chuckled.

"We'll do your favorite karaoke song. I like that one."

"Fine. Doesn't look like I'm getting out of this," she said, allowing an annoyed grin to cross her face. Sasami giggled and applauded Washu.

Russ took a seat at the organ and transferred another song to it, then entered the title on the keyboard. 'Photon, Proton, Synchrotron' appeared on the screen as he started playing.

Soon after they finished that piece, Russ invited Aeka up on stage, encouraging her to sing that title she handed him about a week before. Of course, she was shy as well, and required a little extra incentive to get her on stage, but she eventually complied. Russ entered the song into the computer and then typed out the song title. 'Ojosama to Obi' appeared on the screen.

Once she was finished with that, Russ brought up Ryoko, and invited her to sing a song from Gundam Wing, which she learned just a few days before. The song was already entered into the system, so he just inputted the title. 'Brave Eyes' appeared on the screen.

Ryoko finished her song, and then Russ invited Tenchi and Mihoshi to the stage. Entering his last song into the system and typing out the title that read, 'Talent for Love.'

Russ began singing the song, and soon after, everybody joined in who was on stage. Ryoko, Aeka, Sasami, Tenchi, and Mihoshi all joined him, and the audience clapped along with them. It was a lot of fun for that title.

They finished a few minutes later, and the audience erupted in applause and cheers. Russ stood up and moved next to everybody, joining hands, and all of them took a bow at the same time as the audience continued to cheer loudly. Russ allowed them all to step off the stage and take their seats again, and he got rid of the microphones and chairs by snapping his fingers.

Out of nowhere, Tom tapped Russ on the shoulder and grinned one of his little sadistic smiles.

"What's up?" he yelled.

"I want to play as well," he yelled back, entering something on a phantom console that appeared in front of him. A large drum set appeared on the right side of the stage. "It's time we have some fun! You got almost a fifth of my crew in here, so I want to entertain as well. And yes, I can play those drums over there."

"Okay, cool! What shall we do first?" The audience began to quiet down and look on in interest.

"Let's do a few numbers from Yanni. Let's start with Swept Away. I don't want to play too long. I still need to drag your butt to a particular part of the ship where your present awaits. And I still need to chew your ass out for pulling the girlfriend thing again."

"Sure. Did you reconfigure the system to remove the drums?" he asked, pointedly ignoring the rest of his statement.

"Yeah. Everything is all set to go." He turned and walked over to the drums and sat down, facing the crowd. Russ returned to the organ and typed a few things into the keyboard. 'Swept Away' appeared on the screen.

Russ started to play, and a few moments later, Tom began to play the drumbeat. The audience sat back and listened, enthralled that the captain was up on stage with Russ, showing him what he could do.

They finished a few minutes later, drawing a round of applause for the both of them. Both participants stood up and bowed, then conversed a few moments later. Russ grinned when Tom whispered the next song in his ear, and he nodded in approval. They both returned to their seats and again, Russ keyed the song title into the system, changing the title to 'Marching Season – Live Version' on the screen.

Russ began to play, the sound of piano once again filling the hall, and Tom began to tap the hi-hat from the drums. A few moments later, they both got rolling and they played for a few minutes, when Russ stopped, but Tom continued. Beating the drums in various rhythms, then changing it to something else a moment later, he was able to get the audience clapping with him. Russ watched in amusement, applauding along with the crowd. He changed rhythms again and made it sound like a railroad steam engine was chugging down the track, and in response, Russ hit a few keys on the organ, resembling the whistle. Again, the audience clapped along with it, and when he finished that one, a loud cheer came from the listeners. Resuming the original rhythm he started out with, Russ resumed playing the piano and other instruments that he could handle, and allowed the computer system to play the rest. Once they finished, they drew a standing ovation from the spectators and deafening roar of applause and cheers. Standing up and bowing to the audience, they both shook each other's hands.

Russ turned toward the audience. "Okay, I've done enough for one day. Whew. Thank you so much for listening to me play, and allowing my friends to sing, and on top of that, listening to your captain play the drums."

The audience applauded and stood up, as most of them began shouting, "Encore!" Both Russ and Tom looked at each other, then back at the audience, which increased the volume of their cheering, encouraging them to continue.

Russ smiled and looked at Tom, then nodded. They both returned to their seats and began to play Flight of Fantasy. Once they finished that, they moved on to Days of Summer, Desire, Renegade, Nightingale, and a couple others. They finally finished about an hour later. Once again, the audience gave them a huge round of applause and cheers, and after that, began to disperse back to their duties onboard the ship.

"Whew! That was great!" Russ exclaimed as he hopped off the stage in front of his group.

"Yeah. I haven't done that in a while. I'm glad a lot of people onboard this ship love music." Tom followed Russ and jumped off the stage onto the floor.

Aeka turned toward them. "You both were great! That was fantastic music. I'm glad I came here to listen to you play."

"We all are," Tenchi added, and the entire group nodded in appreciation, and then gave them both their own round of applause.

"Thanks a lot guys. Well, I'm going to go see what Tom wants to give me, and then I'll be heading back to my quarters to nap for a while. I want to be a little more rested once we get to Jurai."

"That sounds good. I think I'll go back to our quarters as well," Aeka added, drawing a nod from Sasami.

"Tom, where's your chief engineer? I'd like to talk with him for a while," Washu asked.

"What for?"

"I'd like to see some of the technology that makes this ship run. I may even be able to think of ways to improve your existing equipment. After all, I am the Number One Genius Scientist in the Universe," she cackled.

A bead of sweat appeared on Tom's head. "I suppose. He should be in engineering, but let me check. Computer, locate Buu George."

"Buu George is in main engineering," the computer responded.

"There you go. I'll let him know you're coming. You're Washu, right?"

She raised an eyebrow in response, glaring at him.

Russ nudged Tom gently and whispered something in his ear. "Oh, yeah. You're Little Washu, right?"

"That's correct," she smiled. "And thank you."

"No problem. Come on Russ," he said, taking him by the arm and almost dragging him out of the holodeck. "Time to have ourselves a little discussion about women."

Russ just growled something incoherent but reluctantly followed. "Why does everybody need to play matchmaker around me?" he muttered to himself.

Walking back toward the hanger bay, Russ began to guess at what this wonderful gift could be. Tom seemed to be really excited about giving it to him as well. Continually coming up with blanks, especially after walking past the hanger, he finally lost his patience.

"Okay, what is it you're giving me?"

"Patience. It's in the fighter bay," Tom said, giving him a grin.

"Ahhh, so you've also been building fighters too?"

"Yes. And at present moment, yours is the only type of fighter in existence right now. It's just as unique as this Star Destroyer."

"Cool. Can't wait to see it," he said, as they rounded the corner and the bay doors opened themselves.

Rows and rows of various fighters lined the massive hold. All types were here, except they were all imperial craft. Tie Fighters, Tie Interceptors, Tie Bombers, and a few Tie Advanced were visible from his current vantage point. All of them were equipped with shields Russ saw, noticing the small out-of-place generators on the fighters. A couple assault transports sat on the floor, and the fighters were suspended from docking clamps from the ceiling. All except one, which was sitting on the floor on landing struts. Tom made a beeline directly for it and Russ grinned widely.

"You know what this is, right?" Tom asked, presenting him with his new space fighter.

"Of course. It's a Tie Defender. It's fully functional?" Russ asked, examining the thing from top to bottom, checking out the four laser cannons and the dual ion cannons on top.

"You bet. It has a hyperdrive, super heavy shields, enhanced thrusters, enhanced engine, and many other things that would make it impossible for a normal man to pilot the thing. I knew how strong you were, so I modified this thing accordingly. It can pull turns like you wouldn't believe, and it exerts g-forces that would almost crush a normal man. I think the estimation came out between twenty and thirty g's. Trust me, this ship is the most advanced starfighter in existence. The only thing it doesn't have right now is a beam weapon. I didn't want to install that without asking you first. You can have a tractor beam, a jamming beam, or a decoy beam. It's up to you."

"I'll take the jamming beam. Just make sure that it can stop any kind of ship from firing, including capital ships. There may be times I want to keep it from firing on me, but I don't want to destroy the thing, but just prevent it from firing."

"That's what the ion cannons are for, silly." Tom laughed, slapping Russ on the back.

Russ looked at him in annoyance. "I don't want to blow every electrical system on the enemy. I just want to keep them from firing."

"Whatever. I'll have that installed in about a half hour, and then it'll be yours to take home. You won't have to travel in that stupid little spacepod anymore."

Russ smiled with pride. "Thanks a lot man. I really appreciate it."

"You can thank me by not pulling that girlfriend crap with Aeka," Tom started.

Russ closed his eyes and prepared for a heated argument. He took in a breath, counted to ten, and began his long discussion with the captain.

Walking into his quarters, Russ saw Aeka and Sasami both on the couch, drinking a cup of tea. He looked quite stressed out and tired, but he managed a smile and a warm greeting.

"What did you guys talk about?" Sasami asked, innocently.

"That's between him and Tom. Don't be so nosy," Aeka chided her sister, resting her hand on her shoulder.

He sighed, trudging over to the chair and plopping into it. "Thanks, Aeka."

She smiled kindly in response.

"We should arrive at Jurai in about seven hours. I'm going to catch a few winks. You can do whatever you want. Catch a few winks, go back to the game room, or take a walk around the ship, but it's up to you."

"I think we're going to stay here and sleep ourselves. It'll be early evening on the particular part of the planet we'll need to land at, and I want to be rested enough to greet my parents and my friends."

"I see. You need to keep up your regal appearance. Well, okay. Go ahead and take the bed. I'll just doze off here in the chair."

"I don't think so. You take the bed. Sasami and I will sleep on the futons that are over there in the corner," she admonished, pointing to the beds that were near the windows. The colors of hyperspace still swirled past outside.

Russ growled. "Why must you be so difficult? You're going home, and you're the princess of the planet we're going to. Take the darn bed and sleep like a princess."

"And I wouldn't be going home if it weren't for you and your friend. I don't mind sleeping on the futon," she retorted.

"Humph. If you're sleeping on the floor, then I will too. There's no way I'm going to take a nice comfortable bed while the Princess of Jurai sleeps on my floor!"

"You're being ridiculous!"

"Am I? You're the one refusing to take the darn bed!"

"Because I don't want to!"

"Well I don't want to either!"

They both fell silent and glared at each other. But Russ' gaze softened a few moments later. "Please, just take the bed."

"No."

"Sasami, you take the bed," Russ ordered, looking at her.

She hesitated, and before she could answer, Aeka piped in. "No, she'll sleep on the futon next to me."

"I wasn't asking YOU, your highness," Russ growled.

"I don't CARE. We're sleeping on the futons, and that's FINAL!" she shot back, not giving up any ground.

Russ' temper was about to explode, but he allowed it to dissolve in a few moments. "I don't get it. I try to be nice and it always gets shoved back in my face. It's almost as if nobody wants me to be nice or offer them things." He scratched his head. "If you don't want to take the bed, then I guess that's okay," he sighed in defeat.

Aeka's aggressive attitude melted away and she looked at the floor, embarrassed. "I'm sorry, I shouldn't have gotten angry with you. But you've been so nice and charitable to both Sasami and myself, and I haven't really reciprocated it."

"I never said you had to. I make these little gestures because I want to, and it makes me feel good when I make someone happy," he answered, looking out the window. "When someone is happy, I'm happy. And the way I make other people happy is by doing things or giving things to them."

She stared at him for a few moments, and then smiled. "Thank you. Your gestures do not go unappreciated, although some of them were unnecessary."

"So you say. It would've made me happy if you took the bed."

She sighed in exasperation. "Would you STOP that?" she giggled. "You're making me feel guilty!"

Russ cracked a small grin, not meeting her gaze. "Then take the bed."

Aeka shook her head and started laughing. "You just don't give up, do you?"

"Nope. And by the sound of it, neither do you," he said, turning toward her and looking her in the face.

She nodded. "Very observant."

"So you're not going to take the bed? Please?" Russ begged.

"For the last time, no."

"Fine. Be that way." Russ stood up and went to his room to retrieve a blanket, while Aeka and Sasami went to their futons. They returned the two cups of tea to the replicator before lying down. Russ returned and flopped into his chair and converted it to reclining mode.

He looked over to Aeka and Sasami, and they were now dressed in their sleeping clothes. Russ noticed something else too.

"Hey Aeka?"

She turned around and looked at him. "Yes?"  
"Where'd you get the necklace? I just noticed it. It looks very pretty on you."

She smiled and placed her hand over the pendant. "Tenchi and Ryoko gave it to me a little less than two weeks ago. They said that they knew about how depressed I was, and they wanted to get me something nice."

"They sure do have good taste in jewelry, in that case."

She smiled and nodded. Sasami and her both laid down on their futons, and pulled up their blankets. However, the little princess looked a little nervous.

"Russ?" she timidly asked.

"Yeah?"

"You aren't going to pull any more pranks on me this time, are you?"

Russ started laughing. "Thanks for reminding me. I had forgotten all about it."

Her face flushed with fear as she looked at her sister.

"What pranks is he talking about?" Aeka asked, turning toward her little sister.

"Well, remember that day I woke him up with the whipped cream? Well he's been pulling pranks on me too."

"Like what?"

"Every day, for a week straight, I woke up in a different place."

Aeka sat up and looked at her. "What do you mean?"

"Well, the first day, I woke up on the couch. The second day, I woke up on the kitchen counter. The third day I woke up in the shed. Then the next day I woke up in the hallway outside our room. The day after that, I woke up outside under Ryu-Oh. On the sixth day I woke up on the shrine steps, and on the last day I woke up on the roof!"

Aeka glared furiously at Russ, who lay in his chair, quaking with glee and barely restrained laughter. "Don't you dare do anything that would scare her like that again!"

"A prank is a prank. She wanted a prank war, and unfortunately for her, she challenged the prank master," he snickered. "But I promise I won't do anything tonight or while we're on Jurai. Is that okay?"

"No, I want you to promise that you won't pull another prank on Sasami again!" she demanded.

"Sorry Princess, but that's asking too much," he laughed.

She fumed silently at her bed for a few moments, when Sasami nodded her head. "It's okay. I'm sure this isn't the last prank I'm going to pull on him," said the little princess, winking.

"Then we have a deal? No pranks until we get back home?" Russ asked, looking over at her.

She nodded. "We have a deal."

"Alright then. At least you're more reasonable than your sister is," Russ snickered, causing Aeka to redden and shake with barely controlled anger. "Well, time for bed, if that's okay with you ladies."

"FINE," Aeka growled, laying back on her futon and snuggling in her bed.

Pulling the blanket over his head, Russ began to drift off to sleep. "Computer, dim the lights and block out the windows." The computer did as it was told. "Now, play the sound of waves crashing into the shore, quietly." A second later, the sound of water lapping a shoreline was heard, at just the right volume level to not be disturbing, but be perfectly relaxing. Everybody drifted off to sleep very quickly, and Azaka with Kamidake remained at the door, doing their ever-vigilant guard duty. Ryo-Ohki dozed off on top of Sasami, purring contentedly.

"Russ?"

No answer.

"Hey Russ!"

No answer.

Tom started getting flustered at not getting any response from him over the comm. system. Assuming he must've been sleeping, an old videogame wake-up routine popped into his head.

"Wake up…. Wake up… WAKE UP!!!!!" Tom shouted into the intercom. A moment later, the sound of three groaning people gave him the response he was looking for.

"What the hell do you want?" Russ asked, irritably, still drowsy with sleep.

"We're going to be at Jurai in twenty minutes, sleepyhead. Get your butts up here to the bridge on the double."

"Yes master," Russ retorted, sounding like an ogre from Warcraft II. Tom chuckled in response. "Did you already wake everybody else up, if they were sleeping?"

"Yeah. Washu is already up here, Kiyone and Mihoshi are on their way, and the others were taking naps like you guys were, but they're all on their way now."

"Alright. We'll be there in a few minutes," Russ said, yawning loudly. Tom laughed then turned off the intercom.

"Saiyans sleep like logs," Tom explained to Washu, who watched the event with amusement.

"So it seems."

"Well," Tom began, sitting back in his chair, getting more comfortable. "What did you and my chief engineer talk about?"

"Quite a few things. He gave me a tour of engineering, and showed me a lot of new stuff. What really impressed me is this ship's power source."

"You like that, eh?" Tom's smile of satisfaction grew.

"Yeah. Except I think it's a bad idea, especially if this ship should happen to explode or if something goes wrong with the singularity."

"Well, it's very small, but it produces an enormous amount of power. It took quite a while to get the technology to the point to make the singularity stable, and to be able to draw power from it."

"I can see that. But anyway, I also showed him how to improve some items on your ship that were rather inefficient. I also gave him the technology necessary to integrate transporters into this ship."

"Hopefully it is something different than what we've tried already."

Washu's eyebrow raised a nanometer. "What do you mean?"

"We had tried to duplicate the transporters that we had seen on Star Trek. We did get them working, but they refused to work correctly through the armor on this ship."

"Oh? What is this armor made out of, anyway?"

Tom smiled slightly. "Sorry, but I can't reveal that. I'll just say that it is extremely strong against energy and kinetic weapons, and blocks, thus far, all known forms of transportation. It's almost the perfect armor," he said, smiling in glee.

"I'm pretty sure my stuff will work. The transporters I invented are unlike most others."

"We'll give anything a try. It does get irritating to have to take a transport to leave the ship," he said, scratching his chin. Something then started nagging at his conscience. "What do you expect as payment for services rendered?"

She waved her hand. "Think nothing of it. Just seeing this ship, and you giving us transportation to Jurai, is more than enough for me."

"You're very welcome."

The lift door slid open, revealing Kiyone and Mihoshi.

"Ahhh, the galaxy police. We should be there very shortly." Tom said, greeting them with a smile.

"You do realize that you've basically broken every speed limit the GP have a law for, don't you?" Kiyone smirked.

"You have speed limits in space? Why?" Tom asked, amused.

"For safety, of course. There are other spacecraft out here, you know."

"Yes, I know that. This hyperdrive is far more advanced than you think. It takes the computer several minutes to calculate a safe course to enter hyperspace. It checks everything between point A and point B. And then lets us know when it's safe to go."

"Still, you should obey speed laws."

"Whatever. I'll have to exit hyperspace anyway when I pull into a planetary system. Hyperdrive won't work due to the gravity of the planets."

Kiyone sighed, seeing as how he missed the point. "Well, I'm certain nobody saw us. We're moving way too fast for them to even detect this ship."

"Yeah. I love it. Plus I could always cloak us," Tom said, grinning.

A few minutes of silence passed and once again the lift door opened, this time revealing the rest of the group. Katsuhito, Tenchi, Nobuyuki, Russ, Aeka, Sasami, Ryo-Ohki, Azaka, Kamidake, and Ryoko all filed out of the lift and approached the captain.

"Welcome back to the bridge. You all look well rested." Tom grinned, especially at seeing Russ' annoyance, probably from the rude awakening.

"Yes, we slept very well. When shall we reach Jurai?" Aeka asked.

"Sakuya? How much longer?"

"I'm about to disengage the hyperdrive, sir. It'll just be a few seconds," she answered, without turning around.

"Excellent." He turned toward the group. "Exiting hyperspace looks sort of interesting, especially when we do it near a planetary system. Everything starts off real tiny, but in the span of two seconds, it gets huge."

As if on cue, Sakuya deactivated the hyperdrive and the multitude of colors that was hyperspace faded back into a bright starfield, and a planet rapidly appeared in front of them. They decelerated to normal impulse speed, and approached Jurai.

Drinking a cup of tea and watching the radar screen, a young Jurian cadet drummed his fingers on the console in front of him. He had been on duty for the last four hours, and not one blip showed up on the monitor. Not even an asteroid. No ships, no shuttles, no fighters, no nothing. It was boring him to death, but it was his duty to just sit and stare at that screen for the next three hours. It was just boring. Boring, boring, boring. And tomorrow promised more of the same thing.

Shifting uncomfortably in his seat, then adjusting his long white robes while brushing a stray hair out of his face, he took another drink of tea and looked over at the guy next to him.

"Hey Asussa?"

"Yeah?" came the gruff answer.

"Want to go to the pub after work tonight? I hear they're supposed to have some smooth samisen music there this evening."

"Are you buying? Because I'm broke," he responded, hitting a few keys on his console and bringing up a computerized card game. He also shifted positions and fidgeted with his robes. "Why'd they make us wear these ridiculous clothes?" he muttered to himself, just loudly enough for his friend to hear.

"I have no idea," he whispered back. "Why are you broke? I thought you had a mountain of money stashed in the bank or something?"

"Rouyu! What on Jurai ever gave you that idea? I make as much money as you do, and we regularly blow our cash!"

"Hey you two! Be quiet down there and pay attention to your jobs!" The commander growled. He wasn't in the mood for any arguments today.

"Yes sir. Sorry," Rouyu responded. Then, more quietly, he turned back to his friend. "I'm sorry about that. I thought you were rich or something. You're always so clean and you always have new clothes and stuff."

"Doesn't mean a thing. I just spend my money differently than you do."

Suddenly, a huge blip appeared on radar, very close to Jurai.

"Sir! Incoming… something! It's extremely large," Rouyu barked.

"Well? Is it a ship or what, cadet?"

"I think it's a ship, sir. Unknown configuration. It definitely isn't in our database."

"Can you bring it up on the monitor?"

"Yes sir. It is in visual range." He keyed a few commands and an image of a section of Jurian space appeared on a large screen. In the middle of the screen a huge, arrowhead shaped vessel cruised toward the planet.

"Hmmm… What the hell kind of ship is that? Open up communications channels with that vessel."

"Yes sir. Channel open."

"Attention unknown starship. This is Jurian space traffic controller Ubey in charge of this sector of space. Identify yourselves."

It took a few seconds, but the cadet finally spoke. "We're picking up an acknowledgement and are receiving a transmission."

"Put it on screen."

"Yes sir."

The screen that showed the ship faded and changed to show the interior of the bridge. A muscular, white uniformed man sat in a chair in the middle of the screen.

"This is Captain Thomas Franklin of the Imperial Star Destroyer Gray Wolf. We have some passengers who would like to make a visit to your planet."

Everybody in the room fell silent at hearing what class of ship it was. The name, 'Star Destroyer,' sent shivers down a couple people's spines, and a few others snickered at the title.

"Halt your ship at once and we will send out an escort momentarily. If you do not comply, we will use force," the commander responded, glaring at Tom.

A woman, wearing a blue, green, and purple kimono, appeared on the screen and stood next to the captain. Her purple hair was tied in one long ponytail behind her back, and her amethyst eyes bored into the commander. Recognition smashed through his head as his face pulled into utter surprise.

"Princess Aeka?!" he stuttered.

"You will grant us passage to Jurai at once."

Still in shock, he only stared at the screen with his mouth gaping open.

"Is there a problem?" she asked, sternly.

He snapped out of his trance a moment later. "No, your highness. No problem at all. We will have an escort to show you to your landing pad shortly."

Tom raised an eyebrow and sighed. "Sorry, but this ship cannot make planet falls. It must remain in orbit. Can you find me a place above the palace where I can pull into a synchronous orbit?"

"I'm sorry sir, but we cannot allow that."

"You WILL allow it," Aeka snapped, clearly not in the mood to argue with some dumb lackey. "I am the First Princess of Jurai, and you will obey my orders."

"Yes ma'am. Sorry for the misunderstanding." He quickly killed the comlink to the ship.

"Rouyu! Inform the Emperor that his daughter has arrived, and prepare to receive them at once!"

"Yes sir!" came the response as the cadet speedily punched in a bunch of keys on his console, and contacted the Emperor.

"And get those escorts out there to them!" he barked.

"Now that's how to get things done!" Tom said, grinning at Aeka.

She blushed slightly and smiled. "Sorry about that. I've known him for a while. He's known for giving people a hard time, and I wasn't in the mood for it today."

Two Jurian warships came into view and sped toward the Star Destroyer, taking up escort positions on either side of the starship. They looked like tugboats, since they were only about a third the length of the vessel. Both of them looked so small and frail next to the ship, since they were composed of wood and the Star Destroyer of steel. The captains of both vessels admired the size of the starship, and tried to judge the new ship's firepower, in case it became hostile. But all things considered, they didn't want to get into a brawl with a ship so much larger.

"Well, our… escorts are here," Tom snickered. "Are those things made of wood?"

"Yes. However, that wood is considerably stronger than you'd think. Plus our ships are shielded," explained Aeka, looking at the two vessels, which at one point, tried to destroy her and the Yagami.

"I guess they'd have to be to survive out here," the captain replied. "We've never come under attack, but we've had to navigate through an asteroid field once. We went into one intentionally to test the endurance of this ship and the weapons. We emerged without a scratch."

"When did you do this?" Russ asked.

"Quite some time ago. You had left to go somewhere or meet someone, and we had finished the shields and weapon systems, and I wanted to go test them."

"You should've had me come with you, just in case something went wrong. I would've turned around and came back if I had known you were just about to finish those particular systems and were going to such drastic measures to test them," Russ said.

The Gray Wolf entered synchronous orbit above the palace, still flanked by both warships.

"Well, everything turned out okay in the end. Well anyway, we're here, so I'll have one of my pilots take you guys down in one of my escort transports. When you guys were on your way up here I ordered a few men to take all of your baggage to one, so there is no need to use your spaceship. I won't be accompanying you right away, but I'll be available at a moment's notice if you need me." Tom smiled at everybody. "Welcome to Jurai! Prepare to disembark!" He turned toward the spiky haired one. "Russ! Take them to the transport. I'm sure they're already waiting for your arrival."

Russ smirked at him and headed toward the lift, followed by his entourage.

The trip down to the surface of Jurai was uneventful to say the least. The transport that Tom allowed them to use was extremely large, and was also heavily defended by the many turbolaser turrets positioned around the outside of the ship. Escort transports were supposed to be used for starbase construction due to their extraordinarily large cargo capacity, but they could also be used as troop transports as well. Needless to say, everybody had plenty of room to sit down or stand, but the vessel didn't have many windows to look out of. Everybody stood or sat near the cockpit, watching the planet come into view as they sped toward the landing pad outside of the palace.

Two fighters escorted them down to Jurai's surface. Russ couldn't wait to take his Tie Defender for a spin, so he took that, and another veteran pilot took a Tie Advanced. They both flanked the escort transport on either side, keeping in near perfect formation. However, Russ started doing weird things with his fighter, but still keeping perfect position. He slowly spun the craft, until he was upside down, and he flew like that for a few moments, and then started spinning like a lathe. He eventually stopped, but he wasn't flying straight as an arrow anymore, but instead, was slightly wandering around his flight path, almost as if he was a drunk driver.

They passed through the atmosphere and approached the landing site, and the roar of the ion engines of the fighters and the rumble of the escort transport became audible. It wasn't long before two of the three vessels landed on their designated pad. The Tie Advanced circled once, then headed back to the Star Destroyer.

With a loud hiss, the transport's ramp and door opened, allowing the light of the setting sun to grace everybody's vision, and the sweet smell of Jurai's warm air flooded the cabin, replacing the sterile, recycled oxygen. The colors of the outside were bright and vivid, and it caused quite a thrill for Aeka, Sasami, and even Katsuhito, to finally be home once again.

Two white-robed Jurian knights approached the landing pad as everybody filed out of the steel gray transport, and Russ stumbled out of his fighter, still dazed from spinning. He shook his head, clearing out some of the cobwebs that swam through his brain, and he resisted the urge to throw up. Fortunately nobody noticed him. He tried to regain his composure as he waddled over to the group.

Everybody conversed with each other, not yet noticing the two knights that stood a dozen feet away. However, Sasami turned toward them a moment later, and recognition spread across her face as she ran over to the one with the blue buttons.

"Azaka!" she shouted, wrapping her arms around him as he knelt to receive her, returning her hug warmly. "It's so good to see you again!" She let go of him and gave the knight in red buttons a hug. "You too, Kamidake!" Her face beamed with pride and happiness.

"Hello, Princess. Welcome back to Jurai! I must say it is a pleasant surprise to have you come back home, even though it was unannounced. We sorry that we didn't have time to properly receive you," Azaka said, standing up and patting Sasami on her head.

Aeka smiled at the two Jurian knights and shook her head. "Don't be concerned about that. I'm just happy to be back home again." The Crown Princess of Jurai walked over to the human Azaka and Kamidake, and gave them both a warm hug. "It's good to see you two again."

"Likewise, Princess. You seem to have brought a large group with you this time. Lord Yosho also came with you, I see," commented Kamidake. "And I see a new face as well… is he alright?" he asked, looking at the Saiyan, who was still trying to stand up straight. He had a green tinge about his face too.

Aeka looked back at him and started giggling. "He was doing stunts with his fighter. It's no wonder he's sick."

Russ took in a few deep breaths, letting them out slowly, and his skin complexion returned to normal. "I won't be doing that again anytime soon," he groaned to himself. Suddenly feeling he was the center of attention, he blushed lightly and chuckled to himself. Not wanting to be rude, he made his way over to Azaka and Kamidake and introduced himself. "Hi! I'm Russ. How are you guys doing?"

"We are well. Thank you, Russ. It's nice to meet you." Azaka extended his hand, which Russ took, but an overwhelming sensation slammed through Azaka's mind. He trembled slightly at the knees and looked into Russ' face with almost complete shock.

Upon grasping Russ' hand, he felt an awesome rush of raw power emanating from the newcomer. This power was incredible, and unlike anything he had felt before, except when he fought the dark knight, who was under the rule of Kagato. However, this power was different from theirs. It wasn't bound to anything, for one. Not like his power, which relied on Jurai, or the Jurai Power. Russ' energy was similar, but not exact. And even though Russ was holding back and letting out a very mere portion of energy, it was still overwhelming to him.

Noticing his compatriot's face, Kamidake moved over to his side, concerned for his friend. Russ also bore a look of concern, wondering what happened. He quickly released his hand and Azaka staggered slightly, and then recovered, shaking his head in disbelief.

"Are you alright, Azaka?" Kamidake asked.

"Yes." He looked into Russ' face, still feeling blown away by the energy he sensed. "That is some incredible power you have there. Almost overwhelming, as a matter of fact." Azaka stood on his own now, no longer being supported by his companion.

"I'm sorry about that. I thought I was holding back enough power. I'll bring it down to that of a normal human." Azaka watched as Russ concentrated a moment, then smiled. "Kamidake?" He extended his hand toward the other knight, who looked on him skeptically. "I'm sorry about that. I didn't mean any harm." Russ kept his arm outstretched.

Kamidake carefully took his hand, and didn't feel anything out of the ordinary. "No harm was done. It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." They shook hands, and then withdrew.

Everybody else greeted the two knights warmly, as a variety of hugs and handshakes took place. They conversed for a few more minutes, and then the two knights led them inside the palace to see the two Empresses and the King of Jurai.

Slowly making their way down the aisle of the throne room, they stopped about a dozen feet away from the steps to the throne. Most everybody knelt, except for Aeka, Sasami, and Yosho.

A stern faced man sat on the throne, glaring down at all of the arrivals, clothed in ornate robes, his purple hair and beard hanging in three perfectly vertical lines. A blue haired woman stood to his right, who almost looked like Sasami's clone, and a dark haired woman stood to his left, both of them radiating their extreme happiness.

Misaki couldn't contain herself anymore and she made her way down the steps, and crushed Sasami in one of her famous hugs. "Sasami!!"

"Mommy!" Sasami hugged her mother in return, as both of them shed tears of joy.

After a moment, Misaki returned to her feet and looked at Sasami's sister. "Ahhh, little Aeka!"

Aeka shuffled her feet slightly and drummed her fingers together, trying to avoid what she knew would probably be coming. "It's been such a long time since I've seen you last, mother. I'm very glad to see you doing well."

Misaki's happiness melted away and her eyes narrowed viciously, promising a gruesome fate to her daughter.

Aeka perspired heavily, then glanced over her shoulder. Ryoko was snickering lightly, and everybody else just looked on in amusement. She sighed in defeat and drew in a deep breath. "My Mommy!"

Everybody in earshot facefaulted, except for Yosho and Sasami.

Instantly going from a look of death to a look of near-bliss, she crushed her daughter in a hug. "Aeka! It's so wonderful to see you again!"

"Oh Mommy!" she cried, holding her with tears of happiness streaming down her cheeks. "It's so good to see you again! I've missed you!" She continued to sob into her mother's shoulder as Misaki held her daughter tightly. Funaho made her way down the steps and gave Sasami a hug.

"Auntie Funaho!"

"Sasami!"

They both gave each other a warm, comforting squeeze, both very happy to see each other again.

The pleasantries continued for a few more moments as Misaki's super hugs crushed everybody, and then got a pleasant handshake from Funaho. Except for Yosho, who she hugged warmly, then glared at menacingly, ready to give him a harsh tongue lashing for not coming to see his poor mother in so long.

Eventually the two Empresses set their sights on Russ, who was standing a few feet behind everybody, his hands folded in front of him, as he looked at the floor.

"Who is this?" Misaki asked, giving him a good looking over and nearly drooling at his muscular physique.

"Mother, this is Russ. He is the one who made it possible for us to come home so quickly," Aeka explained, introducing him.

Her eyes lit up like the sun back on Earth. She grabbed him in a bear hug, trying to crush him like she did with everybody else. "Thank you for being so kind to Aeka and Sasami, and bringing them home to us! I don't know how to thank you!"

Russ looked down at the top of her head with his own head beading with perspiration. "It's okay. It was no trouble at all."

Funaho made her way over to him and bowed appreciatively. "Really. We appreciate all the trouble you went to, to bring our daughters and son home."

Russ shook his head and gave up. "You're welcome. It was my pleasure. My friend is still in orbit. Will it be ok if he and some of his crew come on down to see the Startica festival? That is why we all came."

"That will be no problem at all. Your friend is welcome to come down here with as much of his crew as he wants," Funaho said, smiling. Azusa, however, glared at the newcomer, and remained silent.

"Thank you. I'm sure he'll appreciate a vacation. His whole crew won't come down at once, but probably about half will at a time. Maybe less, depending on how many people want to go." Russ noticed the hard stare from Azusa, and he returned it with his own emotionless look.

Misaki finally let go of him and stepped back, smiling, until she noticed what direction Russ was looking off to. She turned around and saw her husband continuing to rudely stare at him, not having said a word the entire time everybody came inside the throne room.

"Honey, what's wrong? Stop being so rude and introduce yourself to this handsome young man!" Misaki demanded. Funaho nodded beside her, also frowning at her husband.

A quiet growl was released from the king, but he rose to his feet and came down the steps. Turning his attention away from Russ, he bent down and gave Sasami a warm hug, and then he nodded toward Aeka, proceeding to give her a hug. He glared at Tenchi, but nodded, and continued through the group in much the same fashion, until he got to Russ. Continuing to give him a hard, cold, emotionless stare, he still didn't say anything, not even a tiny greeting or acknowledgement. He simply turned around and walked back to the front of the group. Russ stared after him, immediately not liking him in the very least. He clenched a fist at his side and resisted an urge to tell the king off, but thought better of it and remained silent.

Misaki and Funaho watched the little scene play out before them, not understanding what their husband had against the newcomer. Deciding to ask him about it later, they remained silent as well.

"Welcome home, Aeka, Sasami, and Yosho. We will do our best to make your stay a most pleasant one," the king announced, maintaining his scowl. "My servants will show you to your rooms. Your luggage should already be in several of them. If you'll excuse me, I have some urgent matters that require my attention." He turned and went back to his throne as everybody filed out of the hall. Misaki and Funaho tagged along, with Misaki walking next to Aeka and Sasami, and Funaho walking between Aeka and Yosho.

Azaka and Kamidake followed just behind the group. However, Azaka's eyes never left Russ for very long. He still couldn't believe the incredible amount of power coming from him. And he said he wasn't releasing that much either. Hoping that Russ would give him a demonstration later, he decided to ask him.

"Excuse me, Russ, but I have a question I'd like to ask you," he started.

Russ slowed down a little and walked next to the knight. "What can I do for you?" he asked, smiling.

"Could you show me your full power later today? What I felt from you when I shook your hand was extremely high. I'm just curious to see how much power you really have."

Misaki heard the conversation from behind them. "Russ can summon energy too?"

The Saiyan turned back toward her and nodded. "Yes I can. But I don't want to reveal my full potential. There is no need for me to, for one thing."

Upon hearing this, Misaki's look of surprise turned to a frown. "I want you to show me your full power," she decreed, regally. "I want to see what has Azaka so concerned or impressed."

"I'm afraid that's a bad idea," Russ said, nervously.

Misaki's glare became more intense. "I said I want to see your full potential."

Aeka turned around and looked at him. "You better do as she says," she whispered to him. "She's not one to gives up at all."

Russ shook his head. "No. I'm sorry."

Misaki looked about ready to explode, but Russ just looked at her with his poker face, not revealing the nervousness he felt from seeing her fury. She clenched her fists at her sides and gave him her most disapproving stare, one that brought sweat drops to everybody's head that was watching and listening to the exchange. The Empress stopped and got right in Russ face and demanded once more that he reveal his power to her, which was again pointedly and politely refused. Everybody else stopped walking down the hallway as well, wondering what was going to happen.

On impulse, she reached out in an attempt to snatch him by the ear and drag him to the training room, but she grabbed nothing but air. Russ was now standing next to Kamidake as he watched Misaki's expression go from a frown to one of pure surprise. She looked to the right, and then to the left, where her gaze landed on Russ again. Azaka and Kamidake both shared Misaki's bewildered expression.

"How…" she started, then she resumed her glare and made her way over to Russ again. "You're coming with me, young man, to the training room. Now."

"I'm not revealing my full power. And no amount of threats will change my mind, either," Russ grumbled out, still looking at her with a poker face.

Suddenly, her gaze softened and she smiled. "I've never known anyone to be brave enough to defy anybody in the Jurai Empire. If I ask nicely, will you show me your potential?"

Russ looked at Aeka, who's expression told him to stop being so thickheaded and stubborn. He sighed, and shook his head. "I'm sorry, but revealing that much power is not a good idea. I only do it when I do extreme training or when I have to fight."

Misaki's eyebrow arched dangerously as she continued to scrutinize his last statement. "If I show you mine, will you show me yours?"

"You just don't give up, do you?" Russ grinned and shook his head.

"No. Never. I always get what I want, from anybody I want."

"There is a first for everything. Unfortunately, I'm sorry to have be the one whom you do not get what you want."

She finally sighed and shook her head. "You're stubborn, just like Aeka."

"Almost as stubborn," he grinned, drawing a glare from Aeka. "I've had the honor of staying in the same house with Tenchi and his family for about two weeks," Russ revealed. "I'm only there at planet Earth to defend it against a very powerful enemy, but I don't want to get into that right now. We're here to enjoy ourselves, and I always wanted to visit Jurai and see the Startica festival."

"The festival begins the day after tomorrow," Funaho explained. "Why did you come so early?"

"I wanted to tour the planet and take in as many sights as I could. Plus I figured a family reunion could be in order if we arrived early." Russ smiled meekly.

Misaki's eyes lit up once again as she smiled. "You are so thoughtful!" she cried, grabbing him in another hug. Russ resisted the temptation to zanzoken away, wondering if she was going to try to drag him to the training room again. He decided that he might go there later, but only to exercise, and maybe spar with some of the Jurians. Russ and the group resumed walking toward their rooms.

"Have you guys eaten?" Funaho asked, hearing a couple stomachs croaking in the group.

"No. We slept most of the trip and we've only been awake for about forty-five minutes. We didn't have time to grab ourselves something to eat," Sasami explained.

"Then I must insist that you attend dinner with us." Misaki turned toward Russ. "I'm sure I won't get an objection from you for THAT demand, now will I?" She elbowed him in the stomach and laughed.

"Nope. No objection here." He smiled in return.

"Excellent! Dinner is being prepared as we speak. We'll call for you once it's ready." Misaki stopped walking. "Here are your accommodations. Aeka, Sasami, we saved your rooms. They're just as you left them."

"Thank you, mommy!" Sasami said, smiling up into her mother's joyous face.

Everybody filed into his or her own separate rooms, which were simple, but comfortable. They all contained a large, soft bed, and each room had dressers, chests, a mirror, and mostly standard bedroom amenities. Every room had a large window that provided a grand view of the surrounding area, and let in plenty of outdoor illumination.

Only a mere fifteen minutes after everybody got themselves settled in and took a quick shower, a servant came to everybody's door and informed them that dinner was going to be served shortly, and that every person was invited to attend. Of course, the invitation was accepted immediately and they all followed the servant to the royal dining room.

It was extravagant. A white marble table, some fifty feet long and ten feet wide, if not larger, sat in the middle of the room, surrounded by a huge number of gorgeous Jurian wood chairs. Wood pillars made from the most skilled craftsman on Jurai lined both sides of the room, stretching up to the extraordinarily high ceiling. Windows with beautiful colored glass were spaced evenly throughout the rectangular room, letting in a stunning array of colored light, and the trees outside caused the light to dance around the floor. The floor itself was made of beautiful wood tiles that were laid out in an overwhelmingly complex, but amazing and wonderful patterns. It was a dining hall fit for kings and his guests.

Aeka, Sasami, and Yosho all entered, already knowing what to expect, but everybody else stopped and gawked at the room, overwhelmed by the sight of it. Not even Russ couldn't stop staring at the sheer magnitude of the place.

Emperor Azusa sat in his huge throne-like chair at the head of the table, flanked on either side by two smaller chairs, which were for his two wives. Filing inside and taking seats near the king, he greeted them with nothing more than a nod. On the right side of the table, Aeka took a seat closest to her father and her Aunt Funaho, and then Yosho, Tenchi, Ryoko, Washu, and Kamidake. On the opposite side, Sasami sat nearest to her mother, and next to her sat Ryo-Ohki, and then Nobuyuki, Kiyone, Mihoshi, Russ, and lastly, Azaka. Aeka's two guardians, Azaka and Kamidake, flanked both sides of the entrance, guarding the entrance to the room.

The servants had already laid out the necessary utensils for eating the upcoming meal. A pair of chopsticks for each person, a cloth napkin, a plate with a bowl sat on top of a beautiful, light gray, cloth placemat. Six forks and five spoons sat on either side of the plate, made of gleaming silver metal, and a crystal wine glass sat behind the plate and bowl.

Russ sat down and perspired lightly, as did everybody else who weren't used to eating high class. Sasami and Aeka giggled across the table, watching everyone's changing expressions.

Russ turned toward Azaka. "Is this all for me?" he whispered over to him.

"Yeah," he answered quietly. "Just start from the outside and work your way in. They serve multi-course meals here, which is why you have so many utensils."

"Okay. What's for dinner, anyway?" Russ asked, not trying to be discrete anymore.

"I'm not sure. We'll have to wait and see," Azaka replied.

Azusa straightened up a little and leaned forward slightly. "So Aeka, why did you decide to come back home, unannounced?"

The princess blushed slightly and shrugged her shoulders. "It was kind of sudden, and I didn't think about contacting you when we made plans to come to the Startica festival. I thought it would be a nice surprise for you and mother."

"I see," he answered, gruffly. "How long did it take you to get here?"

"A little less than twelve hours, once we got underway."

Azusa's eyes widened considerably as did Azaka's, Kamidake's, and both empresses. "Only twelve hours? No ship can travel that fast," Azusa's surprise turned into a frown of disbelief.

Aeka looked over at Russ, who was also frowning at him, mainly for doubting the truthfulness of his own daughter. She turned back toward her father. "It's true. We came from Earth to here in a little less than twelve hours. The ship we used to come here is currently in orbit above the palace."

"I'll have to see this vessel after dinner. Anyway," his gaze softened ever so slightly. "How have things been with you?"

"Great! All things considered, I've been doing very well." Aeka smiled widely and sweetly, causing the Emperor's usually tough features to soften a little further.

"Have you and Tenchi been getting along well?" he asked, eyeing the young Jurai prince with contempt.

"We're… not in love, if that's what you're asking. We're only friends. Ryoko is his...." she trailed off, wondering how she should describe the relationship between the two.

Azusa almost let out a sigh of relief. Almost. However, he did smile. "I'm happy to hear that you're happy. Sasami? How about you? Have you enjoyed living on Earth?"

"Oh yes," she answered happily. "Everything has been just perfect back home." The Emperor's eyebrow rose at hearing her call the Earth her 'home.' He wasn't happy about that at all.

"You are home, Sasami. Jurai is your home, not Earth," he told her, sternly.

"But, I've lived there for almost a year and a half! It's been my home for all that time," she answered him, wondering why he was being so mean. "And I want to go back home once the Startica festival is over with."

The Emperor furrowed his eyebrows together and allowed his temper to almost get the best of him, until Misaki put a hand on his shoulder. "She is right. The Earth has been her home for all that time, so technically, it is her home. But let's talk about something else," she said, preparing to change the subject. "So Ryoko and Tenchi are lovers now, is that it?"

Tenchi and Ryoko blushed slightly at being called that, but they both nodded a yes. They continued to smile shyly as they looked at each other, filled with love.

"Aww. Aren't they cute together?" she said, clasping her hands.

After a few more moments of embarrassing the two, the first course of their meal was brought to the table. To start, they began with a light, green salad, and a variety of dressings to choose from. Sasami and Aeka both chose a traditional Jurian dressing, but everybody else struggled with the variety, especially Russ.

There was a bowl of each dressing brought out for everybody, and you were able to pick the one you wanted. Russ took his fork and carefully dunked it into each dressing, tasting it to see if it suited him, and cleaned off his fork after each test. He eventually came upon one that tasted very similar to the Bleu Cheese dressing he loved so much back on Earth, so he picked that and drizzled it over his salad. Everybody else followed Russ' example, and dunked their forks in each variety of dressing, tasting it to see if it suited their fancy.

The salads disappeared after a few minutes, except for Russ', which vanished in about two seconds, his plate scraped clean. Both Azaka and Kamidake stared at him with mixed motions, and having various phrases run through their minds. Ones like, "Did he even taste it?" or "Geez, he must've been really hungry," ran through each mind.

Russ laid his fork down in its original place, folded his hands over his lap, and patiently waited for the next course in the meal. He remained quiet and self-conscious, until Misaki noticed he didn't have any food in front of him.

"Didn't they give you a salad, Russ?" she asked, watching him with eyes that matched Aeka's eye color.

"Yes. It was very good. Thank you," he answered quietly, looking down toward the middle of the table in front of him.

"Would you like more? We have plenty," she offered.

"No thank you. I'll just wait for the next course."

Several servants came around with bottles of wine, and poured each person a glass. Upon reaching Russ and asking for his glass, he politely refused and asked if they had anything non-alcoholic. The waiter looked at him strangely, and then offered him sparkling red grape juice, which he accepted with gratitude.

Aeka couldn't help but giggle at his morals, which she figured were just a little high strung. Even though she was mostly a casual drinker, she didn't see a problem with having one or two drinks at dinner, even if a person didn't consume alcohol regularly. Tenchi was about to object as well, but Ryoko silenced him before he spoke.

The next course of dinner was brought out promptly after the last person finished his or her salad. Three varieties of miso soup were brought out to the table, and three clean bowls for each person. Everybody helped themselves to the soups, and consumed it speedily. Compliments went around the table and idle conversation ensued, but again, Russ remained silent, since nobody was really talking directly to him. Azaka and Kamidake noticed it, and decided to try to break the ice with him.

Azaka went first. "So, what race are you?"

Russ turned toward him. "I'm known as a Saiyan, or Saiya-jin. We're a very rare people because of a catastrophe almost ten centuries ago."

"I see." Kamidake nodded his head. "I've never heard of that race before. But from what Azaka told me, you are a very powerful individual. Tell me, how do you control the amount of power you use? That's something we really don't have much control over."

"It's a learned ability. It takes a little concentration, but I can use as much or as little energy I need to get a job done. It also makes it useful to be stealthy around individuals who can sense a power level, like myself."

"You can sense energy coming from people without a device?" Azaka asked.

"Yes. I can sense your energy, Kamidake's energy, the Empresses, the King, and the others around the table who possess the Jurai Power," Russ told them. "A couple people here can do that too. Can't you guys?"

"Yes, but we're surprised someone else, who isn't a Jurian, can. Have you been in many fights?" Kamidake asked.

"Unfortunately, yes. I've had my fair share of battles. None of them were pleasant. I've always tried to fight the good fight, but it hasn't been easy." Russ thought a moment. "Hey, how come you guys are named Azaka and Kamidake, and Aeka's two guardians is also named that?"

"It's a long story." Azaka said, looking down at his empty soup bowl. "It wasn't very pleasant, either."

"I'm taking that it had something to do with the Kagato who took over the throne of Jurai?" Russ mussed, looking across the table at Kamidake, who fretted slightly.

"Yeah. It was a grueling battle that we nearly lost, but all of us came out on top in the end," Azaka said, proudly.

Russ smiled. "Then it was a good battle. Hard fought victories are always the best and most satisfying." He sighed and looked toward the cook's door, which had just swung open, and a bunch of servants exited, each holding a try of food. "Here comes course three," Russ said, his mouth salivating in anticipation.

An hour later, everybody finished their meals and idly chatted with each other. Russ mainly conversed with the two knights, but that suited him just fine. He wasn't much of a conversationalist, so it satisfied him and also made the two knights happy, since they really didn't have many people to talk to who knew about battles and fighting like they did. Azusa even lightened up a little once he got a little liquor inside of him. Ryoko overdid it again, as usual, and her face was flushed red from an overabundance of booze in her system. Aeka was also flushed red, but nowhere near as bad as Ryoko. Tenchi looked slightly pale, mainly since he wasn't a drinker at all, almost like Russ. Sasami didn't have any wine, but instead, chose the same sparkling red grape juice that Russ drank. Nobuyuki and Yosho were also slightly red from the delicious wine, as was Washu. The two Empresses weren't flushed at all, since they could handle that style of wine much better than everybody else.

The room had started to get dark a little while ago, so the indoor illumination kicked in, keeping the remaining light in the dining hall constant. It wasn't long before the night insects started singing their songs outside of the windows.

The Emperor finally stood up and smiled. "Thank you for coming to dinner," he said, swaying slightly from side to side, trying to keep his balance, however, his speech remained clear and commanding. "I hope you find your accommodations adequate for your stay. Tomorrow, you all can do as you please. The day after is when Startica begins, and you're all welcome to attend that."

A chorus of gratitude came from everybody who was seated at the table. "Now," Azusa began, placing a hand on the table to steady himself. "I must go to bed. I have an early start tomorrow, and I'm going to have one heck of a hangover." Everybody laughed in good humor, and he stumbled his way back to his bedchambers, letting out a hiccup before he tried fumbling for the door handle. Everybody else stood up and said their goodnights, and proceeded back to their own rooms for a night of restful slumber. All except for Russ, who walked outside the palace and stood in the warm, moist air. Walking down the steps and making his way over to a nearby garden, he took a seat on a bench and looked up at the night sky, admiring the two moons that were eclipsing each other. The sky was filled with stars, and he could even see a beautiful red and violet nebula. He continued to sit there, taking in his surroundings, and he didn't notice Misaki walk up to him.

"Hello, Russ," she greeted him, quietly.

He jumped slightly from being startled, but he calmed down and smiled up at her. "Hi. Is there something I can do for you?"

Surprised at his assumption that she wanted something, she shook her head and laughed. "No. I just happened to see you come outside and sit down here on the bench. You looked lost in thought."

"No. I was just enjoying the scenery and air of your planet. It's the first time I've been here, and I didn't want to miss anything." He looked back toward the sky and inhaled another deep breath, releasing it slowly, through his nose. Surprisingly, his allergies didn't bother him at all so far.

Misaki smiled warmly. "Do you mind if I sit down?"

"No, go right ahead." He scooted over a little and she took a seat next to him. They both sat in silence for a few moments. "It's a beautiful night."

"Yes it is. I like to come out here at times and sit here on the bench, and just think. It's quiet and very relaxing. It's a good thinking spot." She gazed up at the nebula that Russ looked at a few moments ago. "Russ?"

"Yeah?" he answered, turning toward her.

She looked directly into his black eyes. "What do you think of Aeka?"

Russ nearly fell out of his seat at her directness. "W… What do you mean?" he stuttered.

"Do you like her?"

Russ sighed. "Only as a friend. Nothing more."

Misaki looked slightly hurt. "Do you think there is a possibility of anything more growing from your friendship?"

Russ looked down at the soft, green grass just in front of his feet. "I don't know. I've never been in a relationship before. I've avoided all attempts at a relationship with anyone."

"How come?"

"I don't know. I guess I'm afraid of rejection or something. I really don't know how to explain it." Russ shook his head, not meeting her soft gaze. "I've seen a lot of relationships go sour and the heartache it causes. Some say that it is better to have loved and lost than to have never loved at all. I don't think I agree with that."

Misaki became thoughtful. "That's an interesting piece of philosophy." She scooted a little closer to the Saiyan and she lowered her voice a notch. "Aeka seems to like you, you know."

Russ nodded. "I thought she was becoming a little attracted to me. But I don't want that. I just want to be friends. That's all I ever want."

"Aeka isn't like other girls. She's special, in her own way." Misaki sighed and continued. "She told me a little bit about you and why you came to Earth. I must say that you're very brave and very heroic for always fighting for good. Knowing you could die and sticking to the fight is the sign of a true hero." She looked over at Russ, who was looking in the opposite direction. She began to wonder if he was paying attention, so she poked him in the arm. He turned toward her and met her gaze. "I want to thank you for protecting my daughters and everybody else in the universe. If this Zorpheus became immortal, he would be unstoppable. It seems the only person who is in his way, that could make a difference, is you. I want you to know that if you need any help, any help at all, you let me know, okay?" she said, firmly.

"Thank you for the gesture, but there is nothing you can do. I must do this alone. And I cannot let myself become sidetracked with a relationship until this trial is over. I'm sorry. I don't mean to hurt Aeka if I have already, but I just can't. And I won't let myself, either." His face became downcast. "I'm actually a very cold person emotionally. Usually I'll tell a person straight out what I mean or want. I'm very clear-cut about such things, and unfortunately, even if something comes along that would hurt someone else's feelings, I still will tell them whatever it was. I don't beat around the bush and I'm blunt at times, depending on the situation and how I feel at the time. I've hurt people in the past, and I will not do that to Aeka or any of her friends. I try to stay away from them as much as possible, so I don't disrupt their lives, and I bury myself in my training."

Misaki listened to him explain all of this, and nodded her head. "I do see what you mean. But Aeka tells me differently. She says you're very warm and caring, compassionate, and fun to be around. Not only that, but she thinks you're handsome. That's quite a compliment coming from her. It's rare she finds someone that she really likes, and she likes you. You're a very lucky guy. I sincerely hope you don't pass up someone like her. I don't think you'll find another."

"That may be, but she may find happiness in someone else who is more suited for her. If Ryoko didn't become fully involved with Tenchi, she would have. He's also warm, caring, compassionate, and never looks to hurt anybody, either intentionally or accidentally. Tenchi doesn't seem to be shy around women either, where I am a little." He stopped and let out a yawn. "I don't like groups of people, even when they're close family. I'm a loner. Always have been, and probably always will be. I've never considered the prospect of having a companion along the way. And I'm not sure I'm ready for that yet." Russ fumbled with his t-shirt that he wore from Earth.

"I also want to thank you again for bringing my daughters home for Startica. We've missed them tremendously. We did visit last year, but it was a very short one. The King had brought Aeka a suitor, which Tenchi defeated rather easily. They never even traded blows." She chuckled, remembering that pink haired, arrogant fop go flying into the water as a result from a tidal wave from Mihoshi's shuttle. "Still, thank you."

Russ shook his head. "Don't worry about it. It was nothing. I did it because I like to be generous at times. If I make someone happy, I feel happy."

Misaki brightened up considerably. "Do you want to make Aeka happy?"

Russ groaned, realizing what was coming next. "I'm sorry, but I can't. Not now. I don't want to become attached to her and her me, and then get defeated in the upcoming battle. She'd never live it down and she'd probably try to save me. She would get killed as well, and I WILL NOT allow that. Not now. Not ever," Russ decreed, sternly. "I refuse to risk her life for something that I need to carry out. It's not fair to her."

"It's her choice to make, you know," she said, calmly. "And you're right. She would be by your side every step of the way, even if it meant mortal danger. She's done it with Tenchi and Ryoko before, and I know she'd do the same for you."

"She was able to make a difference with Tenchi. She'd just get herself killed if she got involved with one of my issues."

"We're pretty powerful too. I don't think you're giving her or us much credit," she accused, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"I know. I've sensed your power, and I've sensed Aeka's as well. However, in comparison, I'm far more powerful than you'd imagine." He looked away, embarrassed that he started to brag about his power again.

"How powerful?"

"Very powerful," he said, quietly, and looking at a bush that was a dozen feet away in front of him. "Almost godlike in comparison."

Misaki's eyes widened considerably, and then she relaxed. "I see. I wonder exactly how much power you'd consider godlike."

"Well, I have no idea how powerful your gods are supposed to be, so I guess it's a bad analogy. Sorry about that." He let out another soft sigh and brought his hands together to rest on his lap. "I'm still sorry that I cannot be with Aeka. I never wanted to hurt her feelings, and now it seems that I may."

"You should be more accepting. Give it a try. What's to lose?" She smiled at him as a light breeze ruffled her bangs, and the bright moonlight with the lights from a nearby path brought out her facial features a lot clearer.

"There is a lot to lose. Besides, I get the impression that the Emperor does not like me." Another breeze stirred his spiky hair.

Misaki frowned. "He's always looking for a suitor who would best benefit the Jurai Empire. He really doesn't care for Aeka's feelings. However, I do. Her happiness means the world to me, and that is far more important, to me, to have her smile and be happy than to merge another kingdom or fleet of ships in with Jurai." Her frown intensified slightly. "He can be very rude at times, but he can be a caring father as well. He just doesn't show it often."

"I think I understand now. Did he figure that I was going to start dating Aeka, and that is why he already doesn't like me? Because I have nothing to offer Jurai?"

"Probably. I haven't talked with him about it yet. That's something that we'll discuss later. He's too drunk to make any sense right now, anyway," she giggled. "I'm glad he enjoyed himself at the table today. It isn't often that we see him smile and laugh."

Russ smiled. "He just never looked my way is all. But that's fine. I enjoyed talking with Azaka and Kamidake. They told me a bit about that fiasco with Kagato. I'm glad Tenchi and they were able to make a difference. I'd hate to think of what would've happened if Kagato won." He shuddered.

"Aeka would probably be dead, as would Yosho, Tenchi, Ryoko, and the rest of everyone who came with you today. He was merciless and a monster." Misaki started to become enraged at herself for not trying to stop him.

"I'm sorry for bringing that up. Well anyway," he said, standing up. "I'm going to go back to my friend's starship that's in orbit and let him know everything would be okay for him to bring his crew down for a vacation."

Misaki stood up with him and looked at his muscular frame. "You really are handsome. I can see why Aeka likes you. I sincerely hope you consider pursuing a relationship with her. It would make Funaho, Aeka, Sasami, and me very happy if you did. I think it would make everybody really happy to see her in love."

Russ smiled and shook his head. "Do you have any idea how many people have tried to get me to go on a date or get involved with her already?"

"I'm certain that I won't be the last. Everybody wants to see you two happy and together."

"There are better people out there for her in comparison to me," Russ said, hanging his head. "I'm not good enough for a princess."

Misaki got right in Russ' face. "That's enough of that. Whoever my daughter falls in love with is good enough for her and me. She's falling in love with you, and you think that you're not good enough for her?" she snarled, quaking with anger. "You're full of it. You're the type of man that most women would want to become involved with, not because you're a warrior, but because you CARE about other people, even more than yourself. And Aeka brings a smile to your face whenever you're near her. I could see that at the table. Whenever she looked at you, you two smiled at each other. I don't understand how you could possibly think that!"

"Because I'm a monster!" Russ nearly shouted. "I've killed so many people and my hands are stained with blood from every life that I took. You want your daughter to become involved with a man who kills on a whim!?"

Misaki's gaze softened. "You did what you had to do. What's done is done. And you wouldn't kill anybody without a cause or justification for good. I can see that. You protect the innocent, and that's what is important."

Russ took in a deep breath and held it for a moment, then released it slowly, calming himself down a little. "I'm sorry, but I don't think I'm suited to take her hand in a relationship, much less consider making it permanent. I'm sorry for causing so much trouble. I'll go now. Good night, ma'am." Russ started to lift off into the air to head back to his fighter but Misaki grabbed his ankle.

"There are no apologies necessary, Russ. I want to let you know that you have my blessing if you decide to pursue it further. I sincerely hope you do." She released his ankle and he continued to float there.

"Thank you. You do me too much honor. I'm going back to my friend's starship to tell him about tomorrow and Startica, and then I'll be back. I also need some time to think about all of this. Good night, and sleep well, your highness."

"You too, Russ." She looked after him as he took off to the sky and casually flew back to the landing pad where his fighter waited.

After a short visit with Tom, Russ cruised around in space above the planet, thinking about his previous conversation with Misaki. The thing that weighed most on his mind was her persistence in getting him involved with Aeka. Everybody seemed to be doing that ever since he landed on Earth. It was creepy. And in truth, he was attracted to her, even though he didn't show it. The thought of rejection or refusal was too much to consider, and it was the last thing he ever wanted. Unfortunately, he decided the risk was too great, and he began heavily debating with himself whether or not to maybe move to a different part of the planet, rather than stay with Tenchi and his family.

He rounded one of the moons in orbit around Jurai and continued debating with himself. So what if everybody thought he should hook up with Aeka. In the end, the choice was his, and his alone. However, the last thing he wanted to do was make people feel bad, no matter what the circumstance. But sometimes, it was necessary.

Why did Misaki come out to him and immediately start talking about her daughter? Did Aeka ask her mother to do that, or did she do that of her own free will? Russ shook his head in mild amusement. What mothers won't do for their children. It was touching, to say the least. She wants her daughter to be happy, but why choose him? Why choose a man who was as violent as they come, and who fought for almost his entire life, and on top of that, wasn't the same race as her? Even Tenchi was part Jurian, as he learned a bit earlier in the day.

Russ flew his fighter over top of the Star Destroyer in front of the bridge, doing a wing-wave as he soared by. The two warships had gone off somewhere else, so it was now alone. Didn't matter anyway, since it was far more powerful than those other vessels.

Thinking about what would happen if he did become involved was very appealing. He thought about what would be his first kiss and the first time he would make love with such a beautiful woman. Quickly shoving those thoughts into the back of his mind, he shook his head. It was time to get his mind out of the gutter. But still, wouldn't it be nice to have her by his side, smiling that gorgeous smile of hers, with her sister at his side as well? Having her touch and sweet voice lull him to sleep at night? And possibly having her comfort him when he was feeling down? All of it was tantalizing and appealing, but he figured that it just wouldn't work. Aeka was royalty; Russ was a barbarian of sorts. It just wouldn't work. Or if it did work, the relationship would just be too rocky, he thought to himself. They were too different to be compatible with each other.

Tenchi and Ryoko both entered his mind. Those two are different like night and day. Tenchi was raised as a normal earthling, going to school and doing his chores like everybody else. Ryoko, on the other hand, was a most wanted space pirate at one time. She was violent and had killed many, but Tenchi had never harmed a fly in his entire life. How in the world did they become so attached to each other? It didn't seem possible. Those two seemed to be made for each other, but what about him and Aeka? Could the same type of relationship work between them?

Russ shook his head and turned his fighter around, and made another pass near the Star Destroyer, just a few dozen meters away from the hull. He circled around and flew past the docking bay, and came around on top once more. A small flashing light on one of the consoles caught his attention. He had an incoming transmission.

"Russ! What are you doing?" came Tom's voice. "Quit buzzing us, okay? You're making a couple people nervous."

"Oh, boo hoo. Come on out here and make me," Russ challenged with a snicker.

"Hmmm, so you think you're a good fighter jock now, is that it? I think I'll have to come out there and teach you a lesson, rookie." Russ heard Tom give a few orders to a couple of his crewmembers, and the starship began to pull itself out of orbit. The ship moved out between the moons and the planet and came to a stop. "I'll be out there in a few minutes," he informed Russ.

"Okay. See you then," Russ said, buzzing the bridge once more. He laughed when he did, enjoying himself.

A green turbolaser blast lit up the cockpit, startling Russ and causing him to veer off his current course. He wasn't hit and his shields were at two hundred percent, so it must've been a warning shot. "Oh, so you want to go up against the best starship killer in the quadrant, is that it?" Russ said to himself, setting his lasers and ion cannons to practice mode, which lowered their output to almost nil. Swinging his fighter around, he opened fire on the Star Destroyer's hull and darted away, as a hail of low powered turbolaser bolts lit up the sky all around him. All of them except for two missed, which rocked his fighter around a bit. His shields were down to one hundred seventy three percent, and he quickly shunted his laser energy back to the shields, and setting his laser recharge rate to maximum. Of course, his shields were actually at two hundred percent the whole time, but the computer extrapolated what his actual percentage would've been if this had been real combat.

Quickly dodging from side to side and avoiding the barrage of green plasma, he turned around and charged the starship again, and opened fire as soon as his laser cannons got within range. Several plasma bolts slammed into Russ' fighter, causing it to shudder violently. Still making a beeline directly for the starship, he continued to fire and dodge, avoiding the lasers wherever possible. Aiming directly at the bridge, Russ fired a salvo of lasers directly in the middle of it, where the captain normally would have been. Speedily and skillfully maneuvering his fighter to the side, he flew under the bridge but over the hull, keeping on a few meters away from the support structure that held the bridge, with an enormous amount of lasers following his path.

An additional red blip appeared on his radar a few moments later. "Ahhh, Tom's out here now. Let's see what he's flying." Russ continued to dodge the laser bolts, which were now becoming sporadic, and then stopped altogether. Flying under the Star Destroyer unimpeded, he approached Tom and his fighter. "A Tie Advanced. How quaint," Russ taunted over the communications equipment.

"Shut up. I'm going to fry your ass. Get ready," came the response.

Russ reset his combat computer to keep score and flew off a ways. He came to a stop and faced Tom, who remained under his Star Destroyer, facing Russ.

Finally losing patience, Russ slammed his throttle to full as his fighter threw him back into the seat, accelerating at several g's. Tom did the same with his fighter, and they both met a little less than halfway. Just before getting in range, Russ opened fire with his laser cannons, scoring a few hits on Tom's fighter as he veered away. He quickly snapped his fighter back toward Russ and opened fire with his own laser cannons, scoring a couple hits, but being pegged a few more times when his opponent acquired another target lock. They finally got so close together that they had to veer off a little to avoid a collision, and they roared past each other.

The Jurian air traffic controller noticed the two fighters engaged in a firefight, and saw the starship taking potshots at one of the fighters. However, they noticed none of the ships were acquiring any damage, but they sent out the same two warships that escorted them in earlier to make sure nothing would go wrong.

The two warships approached the battling trio and came to a stop several kilometers away, watching their battle tactics and estimating their firepower, which was substantially lower than they originally expected, but much higher than their own practice mode. They couldn't figure out whether this was their full power or not.

Continuing to watch, several more fighters launched from the capital ship and joined in the fray, and they eventually divided into two teams. They watched the fighters zoom all over the place, pulling twists and turns that seemed almost inhuman, trying to avoid laser fire or attempting to get the enemy ship in the crosshairs.

It wasn't long before nearly every fighter onboard the Star Destroyer was launched and a massive furball ensued. Green laser fire lit up the sky around them, and a few spots of blue ion cannon fire was also detected. The crowd, who was watching the group practice, also increased in size. Five Jurian warships, multiple cruisers, and even multiple galaxy police ships watched the fray in amazement. A small fleet of Jurian fighters appeared a few moments later. Finally, a communications channel was opened from the Jurians to the Star Destroyer, inviting them to a contest to see who was better. Of course, it was readily accepted, as all three-dozen imperial fighters regrouped and prepared to take on the new challengers. The Star Destroyer turned toward their opponents as well and prepared to do battle.

A Galaxy Police cruiser signaled for the match to begin, and a massive firefight between the Jurian military, and Tom's Imperial forces, began. It was almost immediately decided who would be the winner just within the first barrage. Tom's fighters were too small, too fast, and too powerful to be countered with the larger, slower, but agile fighters of Jurai. The capital ships couldn't acquire a target lock on the fighters either, and they began to get pelted under a hailstorm of green laser fire. It wasn't long before the computer calculated that the first ship to bite the dust was Kinto-oh, falling in just under two minutes. No losses for Tom's team, and most of the fighters were still over a hundred percent in shield strength. The Star Destroyer remained off in the distance a little ways, not engaging in the fray yet.

Several Jurai fighters bit the dust at the same time as another capital ship went down, and then was counted out of the match. Still no losses tallied for the Imperial fighters as they continued their vicious onslaught, shunting laser energy to the shields or allowing them to regenerate on their own as they prepared for another assault.

Only a mere half hour after the battle began, the challenging Jurai fleet laid in mock smoking ruins. They were royally trashed, and the Star Destroyer put the two Galaxy Police cruisers that joined in the fray that aided the Jurians, to mock rest. Zero losses for Tom and his group.

"I'm very proud of you, men!" Tom announced over the comm. system. "That was some awesome fighting. We need to practice more often like that instead of the holodeck. Live fire exercises are very good for training. And thanks to the Jurians for playing," Tom added, trying to hide his humor.

The large group of ships dispersed, and the thirty-six imperial fighters began making their way back to the hanger bay.

"Thanks, Tom. I enjoyed that. Just like old times, almost. Except this is far more fun than playing it on a computer," Russ told Tom, as he flanked the Tie Advanced.

"You're right. Well anyway, I'm going to head on off to bed. Thanks for clearing up everything with Jurai's emperor. I appreciate that."

"Not a problem. See you tomorrow."

"Be sure to say hi to your girlfriend for me, okay?" Tom chuckled, poking fun at Russ again.

A loud groan answered him and his fighter shook when Russ planted a laser blast into Tom's shields. "I've already had enough about that for one day. You and Aeka's mother are both trying to play matchmaker. Enough, already."

Tom laughed. "Okay, okay. You win. Talk to you tomorrow."

"Yeah. See you later." Russ banked off and returned to Jurai, landing on the pad where they originally disembarked. The escort transport was gone, recalled back to the Star Destroyer. Russ hopped out of his fighter and locked it down, and turned to go back into the palace, but someone was standing at the edge of the pad. "Oh no, now what?" Russ quietly mumbled to himself. Putting on a smile, he walked over to the figure, which gradually became clearer as he got closer to it.

"Hi. Did you have fun?" Aeka asked.

"What are you doing out here, Princess? Shouldn't you be in bed?" Russ asked.

"I wasn't really that tired. I saw that your fighter was gone and I got worried," she said, concerned. "After I saw that, I talked to the air traffic controller and he said there was a massive fight involving your friend's ship and a bunch of fighters."

"We were practicing. I haven't done that in a long time. It was a lot of fun." Russ smiled and began walking down the steps to the ground.

"Isn't that dangerous?"

"No. Well, a little. We had our ships configured for practice mode. The laser bolts we fire aren't even strong enough to phase the shields. We just keep score of how many hits we make in comparison with how many shots we take. Plus the computer can extrapolate how much damage we would've had."

"Did you get destroyed at all?"

"Nope. Trashed everybody who challenged me. Tom was the most difficult target though. Even though he had the inferior craft, he is a very skilled pilot. I still took him down, though," Russ said triumphantly. "But anyway, I'm going to go to bed now. Thank you for being so concerned about me."

If it were light enough to see her face clearly, Russ would've seen her blush. "It's okay. I almost thought you ran off after talking to my mother or something."

"Why would I do that?" Russ asked, knowing full well why he would have. He only asked to see what she thought.

"Well, mother told me that you avoided all attempts at relationships and things like that. Or ran away from them. I hope you don't run away from me," she said, tears starting to well up in her eyes. One of them trickled down her cheek. "As you know, everybody I have given my heart to has thrown it away or rejected it. And now, you've almost captured my heart."

"Aeka, please. I'm not the man you think I am. I may be kind and caring, but there is another side of me which I haven't told you about."

"I know. Mother told me about that too. I don't care about that."

"You should. I hurt people, and I hate myself for that which I must do."

"It's the cause that I care about. I could care less if you destroyed a whole planet if it was evil." She looked up into his eyes with nothing but sincerity.

"You should, though. It's a part of me that you need to see and realize."

"I do, though. I just really hope that you eventually come to like me as I have with you." She carefully grasped his arm and held it, walking by his side, slowly.

Russ had an urge to pull away, but he restrained himself and let out a deep sigh. "I don't know. I just don't know right now. I have no idea what love feels like. Some say it hits you like a ton of bricks, others say you never know it until you lose the person you care about. I just don't know."

Aeka looked into his eyes and saw a war of emotions swirling in them. "I do wish you would come to terms with yourself and take a chance with me. It would mean a lot to both of us if you did."

"I know. I just… need more time to think about it. But right now, it's too soon."

She giggled quietly. "I didn't mean you had to decide NOW. Just think about it for the future."

"I have always thought about it. I've been thinking about it since the first girl who had an attraction to me tried to get me on a date." He shuddered. "But as of right now, I need to focus on the upcoming task with Zorpheus."

"I understand." They walked in silence for a few moments. "Are you afraid of what my dad is going to think?"

"No. He can think whatever he wants. He'll never change my mind. And I won't let him control your future either," he said, looking into her eyes. She gasped slightly and returned his gaze. "Everybody has a right to do as they please. I won't let someone else dictate another person's future. That's one thing that I absolutely cannot stand."

She continued to smile at him. "Thank you… for everything. It has been a wonderful two weeks with you, and I hope to spend a lot more time with you as well."

Russ raised an eyebrow for a moment. "What are you saying?"

"I'm just telling you how nice it has been since you came to live with us. You've been so good and kind to Sasami and myself, and everybody else. In a way, you're very much like Tenchi. But you're so different too. But your qualities are just as attractive to me as Tenchi's were."

Russ blushed. "Thank you, Princess."

Aeka shook her head. "Stop calling me that. To you, my name is Aeka," she said, firmly.

"Yes ma'am," Russ said, grinning.

"Aeka! My name is Aeka! Not Princess, not Your Highness, and not Ma'am! Okay?" she said, frowning up at him.

"Okay, okay. I was only kidding." Russ grinned down at her.

They reached the palace entrance and went inside, walking to their rooms.

"Well, I'll see you tomorrow, Aeka. Sleep well, okay?" Russ said, nodding his head toward her and pushing his door open.

"You too, Russ. Good night." She watched him close the door and she sighed to herself, proceeding to her own room. She pushed open her door and stepped inside, and Sasami with Ryo-Ohki were lying on the extra bed, both sound asleep. She quickly undressed and put on her nightclothes, then slid into bed, thinking about what her mother told her.

"Don't worry too much, Aeka. I think he's attracted to you as well. Just don't pressure him, and he will come around in time," Misaki told her.

"I know mom, but when?"

"Wait until his major concern is over with. That was the main reason he said he was going to hold off on a relationship. Once that is over, he will make a choice. I'm confident that he will."

"I guess you're right, mom," Aeka said, her face downcast. "I just hope I can wait that long."

"You have before! Look at how long you waited for Tenchi! If you truly love someone, you should be willing to wait forever," she argued. "I will be waiting with you, Aeka. I want to see you happy. Your happiness means more to me than the entire empire itself." Misaki sighed. "Just be patient. He's one in a million, that's for sure."

"Okay, mom. Thank you." Aeka embraced her mom, letting out all of her pent up stress.

Aeka smiled to herself as she allowed sleep to take her mind and body into a night of blissful slumber.


	11. Reunion

Ep 11 – Reunion

I finally decided to change this silly header. *snicker* Anyway, everybody knows the copyright information so I'll just forgo that. The story is approaching the end. I predict another 5 chapters, give or take 2, and that'll be it. It's been a lot of fun writing this little saga (which is surprising, since I have a hard time writing a 6 page term paper!) and I hope you've enjoyed reading it too. I MAY do a second series or continuation of the story, or I may not end this at all. It all depends. Send all hate mail / fan mail to .

Notice! New Website is going up for the Tenchi fans! Come check it out at .net and sign the Guestbook, letting me know you were there. The fanfic will also be posted there, as will it be on the TMFFA, AND on .net.

The light of dawn began to grace the Imperial Palace of Jurai, and flooded the surrounding area in soft, yellow sunlight. Morning dewdrops coated nearly every leaf of vegetation, the night insects silenced themselves for the upcoming day, and people all over the palace slowly woke from their evening of slumber. Shades were drawn, windows were opened, and beds were made, as the morning slowly progressed. It didn't happen quite so quickly, however, in Ryoko and Tenchi's room.

Nearly an hour after the sun came up and laid its super bright beam of light across their room, reflecting off of all the dust in the air, they continued to snooze peacefully, their arms wrapped around each other, with Ryoko's head on Tenchi's chest, listening to his heartbeat. Their covers were strewn about the bed, a testament to their night of ravenous passion and pleasure, and also a testament to the reason for their continued slumber.

Several Jurian birds landed outside of their window on a nearby tree, and began to sing amongst themselves. Their songs were considerably different from the typical chirping of native Earth birds, and instead, were long, warbling calls of a melodious nature.

Ryoko took in a deep breath and unconsciously stretched herself out beside Tenchi, and slowly opened her golden, kittenish eyes. She smiled and pulled herself a little closer to her lover, happily to burn away every moment of time with him, just laying there in bed with the sounds of nature just outside their window. She listened to his soft, rhythmic breathing, and she smiled with satisfaction, knowing that he fell asleep filled with contented pleasure from the night before.

"Mmmm… Ryoko…" Tenchi muttered softly, a smile forming on his lips.

She looked up into his face with her own showing nothing but love and devotion, and she realized that he was still sleeping. Closing her eyes, she stifled the urge to crush him in an embrace, and instead, decided to wait to see what else he'd say in his dream.

Unfortunately, their peaceful repose was interrupted by a light knocking on the door and Sasami's voice on the other side of it.

"Are you guys awake yet?" she asked quietly, lightly tapping on the door once more.

Ryoko phased into existence in front of the entrance, no longer nude, but now clothed in her pink and blue dress. She opened the door, revealing Sasami and a maid at the other side. "Yeah, I'm awake, but Tenchi is still asleep. What's going on, Sasami?" she asked, stepping outside and closing the door behind her.

"Oh! I'm sorry. This is the time the maids go into all the rooms and clean them. But you can have her come back later if you want to sleep a little longer." Sasami looked up at Ryoko with her pink eyes and smiled. The maid standing behind her narrowed her emerald eyes slightly, but remained silent. Oddly enough, her maids' uniform resembled Ryoko's old maid uniform from so long ago.

It was always like Sasami to consider everyone's feelings before she gave an order. "You won't have to do that, Sasami. Just give us a couple minutes to get ourselves ready and we'll vacate the premises," Ryoko said, patting the little princess on the head and giving her a sly smile.

"Okay. Just leave the door open once you leave so she'll know it's okay to go in there to clean. Oh, and breakfast will be ready in a few minutes. I hope you're good and hungry!" she said, excitedly. "If you think the meals I prepare are huge, wait till you see what they'll have for us!"

Ryoko laughed. "Yes, your highness. We will join you shortly. Same room as last night?"

"Yup," she giggled.

"Alright. See you in a few minutes," she said, re-entering her room and closing the door behind her, turning back toward the bed. Tenchi still dozed peacefully, oblivious to the intrusion.

Floating up into the air, she hovered over to their bed and she watched Tenchi for a few moments more, thinking he looked so cute and cuddly, like a teddy bear, curled up under the remaining blankets that managed to stay on the bed. She smiled to herself and floated directly over top of him, only a few inches above him. She stared into his face and smiled contentedly, knowing that she never had to worry about losing him to some other woman, and that he was her treasure, to be joyously plundered whenever she felt like it.

Quietly letting out a blissful sigh, she bent down and kissed Tenchi on the lips. "Time to wake up, lover," she whispered into his ear.

Tenchi didn't move and his breathing remained unchanged.

She smiled broadly, since she was very proud of the fact that she had worn him out the previous night. Undaunted, she pressed her lips to his once more and held the kiss for a few moments, until Tenchi's body slowly shifted positions and she felt him try to take in a deep breath of air. Backing off a moment and allowing him to finally breathe again, she watched his eyes slowly open themselves and a large smile crease his lips.

Without warning, Tenchi reached up and grabbed Ryoko, pulling her down to him with a shriek of pleasant surprise, as he kissed her passionately, letting out a soft moan of unmistakable bliss. He backed off a moment later.

"Good morning, Ryoko." Tenchi smiled in satisfaction.

Ryoko giggled. "Hi, sleepyhead. Did you have a good night's rest?"

Tenchi slowly nodded. "Yeah." He hugged Ryoko once more and kissed her on the cheek. "What a night. What time is it anyway?"

The space pirate smiled and returned his kisses. "It's an hour past dawn. Sasami was just here, and she told me that breakfast will be served shortly, plus the maids want to get in here to clean the room."

His eyes widened slightly. "Oh. Well, I guess we better get going then." He made an attempt to get up, but Ryoko had lain down on top of him. Instead of getting up, she continued to lie there, grinning, as he made another vain attempt to sit up. Smiling up at her, he gave her another kiss. "Can I get up now?"

"Oh, I don't know. We still have a few minutes to spare, Tenchi," she whispered seductively, winking at him.

Tenchi smiled, but shook his head. "Come on, Ryoko. I'm hungry, and I'm sure the maid is getting impatient. Besides, we're going to be spending the whole day together." He thought a moment. "Actually, our entire vacation will be spent together."

Ryoko's face went to feigned hurt. "Aw, please, Tenchi?" she whined. "Just a quickie before we go?"

Tenchi couldn't help but laugh. "Ryoko! You're being spoiled. Let's go get some breakfast. Please? We'll have all of tonight to do as we please."

"Oh, but that's so far away!" she pouted. She kissed him once more.

Even though he wouldn't admit it, Ryoko's little pouting act was starting to turn him on, but he decided it would be better to wait until tonight. "Now Ryoko. Be reasonable, okay? I'm sure you're hungry too."

"No, not really," she answered.

Tenchi chuckled quietly. "I guess I'll have to find some other motivation," he said, bringing his arms up to her sides. He began tickling her, under her arms and down her sides as she yelped in glee and started laughing. "Coochie coochie coo!" he said, intensifying the motions of his hands and laughing along with her. She squirmed fitfully and finally her will gave out as she floated up off of him, putting some distance between his hands and her body as she worked off the ticklish feeling and calmed down.

Seizing the moment, Tenchi quickly sat up and covered his waist with the blanket. He reached down to the floor and picked up his underclothes and speedily put them on, managing to do it all under the covers. Standing up, he looked around for his suitcase.

Ryoko floated down from her position above the bed and wrapped her arms around Tenchi, nipping him in the neck and kissing him in the same spot. "You big meanie," she cooed, and then giggled. "I've never been tickled like that before."

Tenchi looked over his shoulder into her smiling face and gave his own satisfied grin. "Where are our bags? I don't see them."

"I think they're in the closet over there," she said, pointing to a door on the far side of the room. "But I think the maids already unpacked our stuff for us and put it into the dresser."

"Oh! Okay. Well, that makes it nice." He made his way over to the dresser with Ryoko still clinging to him as she floated a few inches above the floor. Opening a couple of the drawers, he found they were empty. "Hmmm… guess not," he said, scratching his head. Changing his focus over to the closet, he opened the door to reveal a closetful of Jurian robes, all his size, with a note attached to one of them.

"Please wear these clothes, prince. It would make us very happy," Tenchi said, reading the note aloud. Ryoko frowned at it.

"Why do you have to wear these silly robes? I brought along most of the clothes we bought together at the mall a couple weeks ago."

Tenchi shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know. But we are on Jurai, so I guess we should go with the flow and wear typical Jurian clothing, or we'd stick out of the crowd. I don't think I'd like being stared at because of the clothing I'm wearing."

"I guess you're right. But you'll probably be stared at anyway, since you are the prince," she said, causing Tenchi to cringe slightly. She reached into the closet and pulled out a set of clothes. The primary color was beige, and it had many extra features on it, in various colors. "I think this would look nice on you, Tenchi."

"Okay, I'll wear that one," he replied, taking the hanger out of Ryoko's hand. He carefully removed the garments from the hanger and laid them out on the bed. Stopping himself for a moment, he turned his head toward Ryoko. "Can you let go of me now so I can get dressed?" he asked, grinning. "It would be pretty hard for both of us to fit in these robes."

Ryoko squeezed him tightly and kissed him on the cheek, then released him and floated Indian style in the air.

A few short minutes later, Tenchi finished dressing, and they both left their room to go to the breakfast table. Upon entering the dining room, they could see everybody already seated around the table, except Russ was absent. Everybody turned their attention to Tenchi and Ryoko when they entered, and a chorus of, "Good morning," and "Hello," were said. They took the same two chairs they had the night before and sat down. Asuza simply glared at the two, but managed a nod in their direction.

"You guys look very well rested. I assume everything went okay last night?" Misaki asked from her position at the head of the table.

"Absolutely," Tenchi answered, sharing a knowing glance back at Ryoko. Aeka looked at the two and did her best not to be jealous. Not because she wasn't with Tenchi, but because she didn't have a relationship at all.

"Well, that's good. You made it just in time. The cooks are just about finished with our meal." Misaki turned toward the kitchen door just as it opened, and a bunch of servants entered carrying large trays, each crammed with heaping plates of food. The smells that followed them were unmistakably pleasant and mouthwatering, and caused nearly everyone at the table to begin salivating in anticipation.

"Wait a minute. Where's Russ?" Aeka asked, noticing the empty chair next to Azaka. She frowned. "Is he still sleeping?"

"I don't know, Aeka. I knocked on his door but there was no answer," Sasami told Aeka as a plate was set down in front of her. "I didn't want to disturb him if he was sleeping."

"Why don't you go see if he wants to join us?" Misaki asked.

Aeka was already getting up from the table. "I was just on my way to do that. I'll be back in a few moments. Don't wait for me."

"Don't trouble yourself. I'll send a servant to go see what's going on," Asuza told her, gesturing with his hand for her to take her seat.

"I'd rather do it myself, if it's all the same to you, father," Aeka responded indignantly.

His eyebrow arched ever so slightly. "Don't bother. I'll send a servant. Sit down," he ordered.

"But father…"

"Sit down!"

Her mouth hung open for a moment in stunned silence, but she reluctantly complied. Misaki glared at her husband and was about to object when Asuza ordered one of the servants to go fetch Russ. Deciding not to pursue the issue any further, Misaki turned her attention back to Aeka, who was now picking at her food.

"Don't worry, honey. It really doesn't matter if you go get him or one of the servants does. Either way, they'll bring him here."

Aeka didn't answer, but continued to pick at the food that was placed in front of her. Everybody else at the table didn't say anything, but kept quiet and watched the tirade in silence.

Several minutes later the servant returned and whispered something in the Emperor's ear, causing him to frown a little more than usual.

Aeka looked up from her meal. "Didn't she find him?"

Asuza shook his head. "No. He's not in his room. She looked around a little for him but didn't find him. She doesn't know where he went."

Fear gripped Aeka for just a moment, but she told herself she was being silly, and that he didn't actually leave the planet. However, as she continued eating, that feeling continued to nag at the back of her consciousness. What bugged her even more was the fact that she didn't even know WHY he suddenly vanished. It was strange. She decided that when they find him later, that she'd ask him about it. But if she did that, wouldn't he get upset over it? Why should he have to answer to anybody? It isn't like she's married to him or something where he'd have to answer for everything that he does.

Funaho and Misaki both noticed Aeka's fretfulness and the fact that she probably has just lost her appetite. They both watched her pick at her food and continually shift positions in her chair. Asuza ignored her, but Sasami watched, concerned for her sister. Finally, Misaki broke the silence.

"Go find him, Aeka, if it'll make you feel better," she ordered. Asuza glanced up and looked daggers at his daughter, and then at Misaki.

Aeka jumped in surprise, and then hung her head in shame. "I'm sorry, mother. I'm being rude and selfish." She began to eat with much more gusto, but remained silent.

Breakfast passed without much conversation from anybody. Once they were finished, they complimented the chefs and made a hasty exit from the dining hall. Aeka caught sight of Tenchi and Ryoko leaving the room and she decided to catch up to them.

"So Ryoko, what would you like to do today? We've basically got an open slate," Tenchi said, casually walking next to her, his robes flowing freely behind him.

"I have no idea where to begin, actually. Is there anywhere you'd like to see?" Ryoko asked, turning toward him and stopping.

Tenchi stopped and remained thoughtful. "Well, you've been to Jurai more than I have, and I don't have any idea what to do or where to go. I was hoping you'd have some ideas."

Ryoko shook her head slowly. "No. But you've been to Jurai as well. Are you sure there isn't anything you want to see again?"

Tenchi shrugged his shoulders. He then chuckled. "Well, let's go that way and see where it leads us," he announced, pointing down one of the hallways.

"That goes to the Royal Library," Aeka said, finally having caught up with them.

Ryoko and Tenchi both turned toward her and watched her with concern.

Aeka let out a sigh. "Would you mind if I joined you? I can show you around the palace if you would like. Sasami and Ryo-Ohki went off with Mother, Grandfather and Nobuyuki went off with Lady Funaho, Father went to the throne room, Azaka and Kamidake went off somewhere, Kiyone and Mihoshi went off together, and Washu went to the Science Academy for the day. I'm stuck with nobody to do anything with, unless I want to get tortured by Mother, which currently doesn't appeal to me."

Ryoko and Tenchi both looked at each other and nodded their heads. "Sure. We'd be happy to have you join us. Who better to give us a tour than the Princess herself?" Ryoko said, smiling in a pleasant way.

"Well, let's go to the library then. Maybe there will be something there that would interest you," Aeka suggested. "There is probably a million books there, if not more, covering nearly every subject you could possibly think of."

"Sounds interesting. Would you please show us the way?" Tenchi asked.

Aeka smiled and nodded her head. "It's right over here," she said, gesturing with her hand and slowly making her way over to the library. Tenchi and Ryoko both followed.

"Sorry about Russ not showing up for breakfast, Aeka. If I knew where he went I would've told you," Tenchi said, quietly.

Aeka tensed slightly, but she seemed to shake it off a moment later. "It's okay. He probably got up early or something and decided to tour the planet by himself or something. That's what he's used to."

"Yeah, but still, he should've at least graced us with is presence at the table for breakfast. It was awfully rude of him," Ryoko responded. "I know I'd be upset if Tenchi didn't show up at the table, and he'd be upset if I didn't arrive."

Aeka shook her head. "But it's different for you two." She sighed regretfully. "I'm burdening you with my troubles. Come on, let's forget about that for now and try to enjoy ourselves, okay? That would make me happy."

"Yeah. Okay, Aeka. I'm sorry," Tenchi said meekly, putting a hand on her shoulder and giving it a reassuring squeeze. Ryoko felt a slight pang of jealousy, but she brushed it off immediately. Instead, she nodded her head toward Aeka and smiled.

They had reached the library and Tenchi pushed open the doors, gesturing for the girls to enter first. Once they entered, both Ryoko and Tenchi stood, flabbergasted, at the sheer number of books. When Aeka had said there were probably a million books, she was vastly understating the truth. Bookshelves reached all the way to the ceiling, which were nearly thirty feet high. Rows upon rows of ceiling high bookshelves lined the floor, and every single shelf had no room left to fit another book on it. The size of the room dwarfed that of the dining hall, and several rows of tables were placed throughout the room, surrounded by plain wood chairs, several of which were occupied by some of the Science Academy students. The sight was truly breathtaking.

"Oh my god," Tenchi stuttered out. Ryoko had a similar reaction.

Aeka turned toward them and giggled softly. "This is the second largest library on Jurai. It's actually pretty small by some of the other ones I've seen."

Ryoko and Tenchi both facefaulted. "You've GOT to be kidding us," they both said in unison.

Aeka shook her head and smiled. "Well, go find yourselves something to read. I'm going to go over here to the romance novels to browse. I'll join you at one of the tables. It'll give us something to do for the next couple hours or so."

"Okay, that sounds good," Ryoko said, floating up into the air a few inches and grinning seductively. "Tenchi? What are you going to look for?"

"I don't know. Where's the science fiction section? I may find something entertaining there," Tenchi asked.

"It's over there, I think," she answered, pointing to an aisle between two rows of bookshelves. "It has been a long time since I've been here last."

"Thanks, Aeka. I'm sure I'll find something anyway," he said quietly, making his way over to the shelves.

"What about you, Ryoko? Anything in particular you're looking for?" Aeka asked politely.

The space pirate froze for a moment and blushed. "Thanks, but I can find it myself. If I don't find what I'm looking for, I'll find it in the card catalog," she said, smiling.

"I could easily tell you were most of the books are. It would be much faster," Aeka said, pressing the point.

"It's okay. Go find yourself a book to read. I'll be fine," Ryoko insisted.

"Well, okay. If you need help, just ask me," Aeka offered.

"Thanks." Ryoko floated away and phased through a wall of books. Aeka shook her head, turning toward the romance novels and began to hunt down one of her old favorites.

A few short minutes later, Tenchi sat down at a table near one of the outside windows. He opened the book to the prologue and started reading when Aeka joined him, sitting down in an adjacent chair, a copy of Lone Eagle in her hand.

"What do you have there, Tenchi?" she asked, not quite being able to see the cover of his book.

"Jurassic Park. It's strange though. What is Earth based literature doing here on Jurai?" Tenchi looked confused, but Aeka smiled.

"Even though most people don't know it, we do have people that go to more… primitive planets, and we collect tons of literature. Washu has done wonders for us when it comes to Earth text."

"Oh," he said, not quite buying into the explanation, but he had no grounds to dismiss it either. "Well, what do you have?"

"It's also an Earth novel, called the Lone Eagle. It's a romance novel. I've read it once before and really enjoyed it."

Tenchi chuckled softly. "Maybe you should've tried Heart of a Warrior. It's a science fiction romance novel. I heard it was pretty good."

Aeka thought a moment. "I haven't heard of that one. What's it about?"

"I don't know. I've never read it myself. Honestly, I don't care for romance novels. I enjoy science fiction, fantasy, and some mystery novels too. However, I also have to read these boring books that grandpa assigns me," he grumbled.

"I've seen those. There's some interesting stuff in them," she said.

Ryoko teleported near Tenchi with a rather large, thick book in her hand. "Hi," she greeted them, causing both of them to flinch in surprise.

"Hi there. What did you get?" Aeka asked, leaning forward a bit to catch a glimpse of the cover. Her eyes widened in shock when she read the title.

Ryoko blushed slightly. "It's for me and Tenchi. I thought it would be neat to try some new things out."

Tenchi also looked at the cover. "A thousand and one ways to pleasure your man?" he said aloud.

Two of the science academy students that were quietly studying nearby looked up in astonishment, and then started snickering. Ryoko shot them both a glare that promised death if they continued, and they silenced themselves quickly. She took the chair next to Tenchi and sat down.

"Yes, that's the name. I think it would be kind of neat to try some of these new positions," said Ryoko, matter of factly.

Tenchi groaned to himself and put his head in his hands. Aeka did the same.

"What's the big deal? Doing the same thing night after night gets boring," Ryoko explained, confused by their reactions.

They both groaned again and suddenly became very interested in their books. Ryoko shrugged her shoulders and started reading.

"Mom? I'm hungry. When's lunch?"

Misaki looked down at her daughter and smiled. "Lunch will be served in a few short moments. We will go to the dining hall. Everybody should be there already."

"Yes!" she exclaimed, hopping up and down on her feet. Misaki laughed and pulled her close, giving her another bone crushing hug. They both stood up from the couch in the Royal Family's living quarters and made their way out into the bustling hallway.

"I'm so happy you all came back to see us! It was such a nice surprise!"

"Yes mother. You've told us that a million times already," Sasami said, rolling her eyes. "I'm happy I came home too. It's been a long time since we've seen each other last. But what have you been doing this whole time? I've talked about everything I've done, but you never told me anything about what you've done for the past year." She looked up into Misaki's amethyst eyes and grinned.

Turning thoughtful, she placed both her hands in front of herself and casually folded them together. "Well, really, there hasn't been a whole lot happening, except recently for the Startica festival. It always gets busy here in the palace during this time of year." Not finding her new posture comfortable, she placed an arm around Sasami's shoulders as they continued walking. "Auntie Funaho finally finished remodeling the Great Hall here in the palace. It turned out really nice."

She paused, suddenly at a loss for words. Everything that she came up with that could potentially be discussed was shot down, figuring that they'd be of no interest to a little girl. The merging of another kingdom into Jurai was dismissed, as was the arrest of a petty thief who managed to break into the palace. However, one thought occurred to her that Sasami would find interesting.

Sasami watched her mother as she warred with various thoughts, and she hugged her, smiling the whole time. "It's okay, mom. You can tell me anything you like."

Looking down and smiling at the thoughtfulness of her daughter, she decided on something funny that happened recently. "You should've seen your father about a month ago. He did one of the craziest things to one particular group of people that I never thought he'd do."

The little princess smiled. "What'd he do?"

"I shouldn't tell you, since it would embarrass your father," Misaki teased.

Sasami's eyes sparkled and begged at the same time. "Aww, please mom? What did father do that could be so embarrassing?"

Misaki started chuckling softly as she recalled the event in detail. "It was so silly. You know how we must always behave regal and proper, right? Well, one night at the dinner table, while your father had a mouthful of wine, someone told a really funny joke, and he actually found it funny. So funny, as a matter of fact, that he wound up spitting his wine all over the table."

"Oh my gosh! Did he really?" Sasami giggled and tried to picture the event in her mind.

"Yes, but that's not all. You see, our guests were actually small children, but they were of royalty, just like you. Everybody was more or less intoxicated, and things got a little more interesting as the evening progressed. One of the kids decided to start flicking little bits of food at your father when he wasn't looking. Needless to say, after about four tries of trying to catch the culprit, he flung a small amount of food at three of the kids." Misaki started laughing. "Unfortunately for him, they all fought back, and we had a massive food fight on our hands. We pasted the entire dining hall with what was left of our dinner. All twenty of our guests got involved, and your father had a blast, as did we." The empress took in a deep breath and calmed down a bit. "I felt sorry for the cleaning ladies once we had finished. The entire hall was a mess, and we were too."

"Ohhh Mooooom! You got into a food fight? How immature," Sasami retorted, giggling. "Of course, you're not the only one who's been in a food fight."

"Sasami! What did you do?" Misaki asked sternly. "You know better than that," she scolded, and then broke out laughing.

"It was all Russ's doing. I played a little prank on him to wake him up, and afterwards when we started eating, he started flinging rice grains at me. Well, I couldn't let him get away with that, so I returned the favor. Ryoko started laughing at him, and he flung a few grains at her. She didn't take too kindly to that and she pelted him with rice grains, and I managed to nail him too. Then Tenchi started laughing at us, so Ryoko, Russ, and myself all pelted him with rice."

"I see I'm going to have to have a little talk with my disobedient daughter," said Misaki, looking down at the little princess with an evil gleam in her eye.

"But I'm not done yet. Aeka got mad at us and called all of us immature. She then dumped an entire bowl of rice over Russ's head."

Misaki's eyes widened in shock. "My little Aeka did that? Seriously?"

Sasami giggled. "Yes. Then everything just went crazy from there. It was a lot of fun, even though it took a little while to clean it all up. We hadn't seen Aeka smile like that for a long time."

"What do you mean?" the empress asked, now concerned.

Giving her mother a worried look, she decided to tell her the truth, but first, a promise. "Mom? Please don't repeat any of this to Aeka, or lead on that you know about it, okay?"

"Cross my heart. I won't say a word, Sasami." Misaki stopped and pulled her daughter in front of her, looking her directly in the eyes. "What's going on?"

"Aeka has been depressed for a long time… almost a year. Tenchi had gone missing for a very long time, and everybody spent every waking moment searching for him. When Ryoko and Aeka finally did find him, he couldn't remember them. But to make a long story short, Tenchi was in a different dimension that was adjacent to our own. So close, in fact, that it partially overlapped ours," she described, sounding like Washu. "However, Aeka realized that Tenchi really only responded to Ryoko, and during the final moments of that dimension's collapse, Aeka made the choice to give up Tenchi to Ryoko, to save him."

Misaki gasped and looked into her daughters face in total bewilderment. "Sasami… I had no idea. What else happened?" She knew there was a reason for Aeka's persistence for getting Russ involved in a relationship with her!! Aeka had given up the one she loved to save him. That's her daughter! That was the most unselfish act that anybody has ever done, and it was her daughter that did it. Her heart swelled with pride, but also with heartbreak.

The little princess's face became downcast and sad. "That's basically all that happened. Aeka stopped pursing Tenchi after that incident. She gave him up to save him. I can't imagine the pain she felt from a decision such as that." Sasami sniffled, becoming sadder. "I feel so bad for Aeka, because I know how much she loved Tenchi."

Wrapping her arms around her daughter, she gave her a warm, caring hug. "I understand a little better now. Why didn't you guys ever tell me about this?"

Allowing herself to be held, Sasami embraced her mother in return. "We decided to not tell anybody about it. Aeka doesn't want anybody feeling pity for her. She's so strong." She buried her face in her mother's robes, doing her best to keep from crying. All the people in the hallway did their best not to draw attention to what was going on between the two members of the Royal Family.

"But Aeka isn't depressed anymore, is she?" Misaki asked, very concerned for Aeka.

Sasami leaned back a little and sniffled, and then dried her eyes with the back of her sleeve. "Not since Russ came to live with us. She thinks he's a lot like Tenchi, but he's so different too. He's not as serious, but he's just as caring and compassionate as Tenchi. I think that's why she likes him."

"That's what she says." Misaki's stomach croaked loudly, as if demanding an audience with the dinner table. "Oh my. Lets get something to eat," she said, smiling and chuckling softly.

Sasami smiled and sniffled once more. "I'm hungry too. What's going to be for lunch?" she asked, standing up and taking her mother's hand as they continued their short trek to the table.

"I'm not entirely sure. It's probably the usual stuff. You know how your father is," she said, rolling her eyes. "It's almost the same thing every day. I don't know why he doesn't get tired of it!"

Giggling softly, Sasami and her mother both made it to the dining hall a few short moments later. Several people were already there, sitting in their usual seats. Kiyone and Mihoshi were already there, as was Washu, Funaho, Yosho, Nobuyuki, Azaka, Kamidake, and Asuza. Ryo-Ohki phased through the kitchen door with a carrot in her mouth, being chased down by one of the chefs. He grumbled quietly to himself and returned to the kitchen upon Ryo-Ohki's escape.

"Hi honey," Misaki greeted Asuza, taking her seat. "How did everything go today so far? You did get all the assimilation requests finished, right?"

Asuza nodded his head once. "Yes, dear. Everything is going smoothly today, for once. Not a single trouble spot. Yet."

"Well, that's good to hear. Did anything else come up?"

"Not yet. I still have to finish off a loan request from the Galaxy Police, and that should be it for a while, unless something else comes in." He frowned slightly and growled something incoherent.

"What did the Galaxy Police need a loan for?" Misaki asked, confused. "I don't remember anything about it being on the agenda for today."

"We need the money to help fund a new spynet hardware device we're constructing. That's about all I can say about it for now," Kiyone explained. "It will allow us to infiltrate gangster hideouts from a different location by a remote controlled device. It makes it a lot safer when we go in to take prisoners."

"Yeah! And it would've sucked the Galaxy Police's checkbook dry if…" Mihoshi started to say when Kiyone got in her face.

"You always say too much about financial difficulties! Leave it be!"

"Sorry, Kiyone. I didn't mean anything. It's just that we seem to be the best at talking about financial difficulties!" Mihoshi said happily.

Kiyone groaned in disgust and shook her head. Misaki giggled to herself and turned toward her sister. "What about you, Funaho? What did you do today?"

"I showed Yosho around the Great Hall. He likes the way it was redone," she said, looking over at her son and giving him a hard stare.

"It's pink," Yosho said, shrugging his shoulders.

"Yes, it's pink! What's wrong with pink?" Funaho glared at him.

"Nothing, mother. Nothing at all," he said nervously. He looked across the table at Sasami who was giggling. He began to perspire lightly.

"That's what I thought. You don't like all the hard work I put into remodeling it, do you?" Funaho said, looking down the table and frowning.

"No! I mean, yes! I mean… I didn't say that," Yosho said quickly. "It's just fine. As long as you're happy, that's all that counts."

"But YOU don't like it, do you?" she answered, staring into his eyes.

"Yes, I like it."

"I think you're just being polite," she answered, turning her nose up at him.

Yosho looked quite perturbed as his son started quietly snickering next to him. He glared at him, promising a good thrashing if he kept it up. Nobuyuki did manage to stop snickering, but he couldn't help but smile. It wasn't often that he saw his father get bent out of shape and he had to treasure the moment.

Ryoko, Tenchi, and Aeka all entered the room, all smiles and quietly chattering amongst themselves. Misaki turned toward the new arrivals and smiled, happy that Aeka seemed to be having a good time.

"My little Aeka!" she greeted her daughter. "Where were you? What did you three do today?"

"We went to the library and read a few books," Aeka explained, pulling up her chair on Funaho's side of the table. "We really didn't have anything to do, so we read the entire time."

"What did you read?"

"I read that one novel that I love," she answered, a blissful, faraway look on her face. "It's amazing how some of those are based on true stories."

"I see. What about you, Tenchi? Did you find anything interesting?" Misaki inquired.

"I read Jurassic Park. I saw the movie, but never read the book. I think the book was better," he said. "It had more detail."

"I've never read it or seen the movie," she said, thoughtfully. "Well, what about you, Ryoko?"

All three of them suddenly tensed and their brows beaded with sweat. Misaki noticed it and started laughing. "Let me guess," she said, a knowing look on her face. "It's of a personal nature."

Ryoko let out a sigh. "Yeah, sort of like that."

"It's okay," she responded with a sly smile and sharing a glance with Funaho. Even though she didn't know the title, and she'd never admit do doing so, she too had read most of the literature that was similar to what Ryoko had read. Funaho had read most of it as well, and they both had a pretty good guess at what it was about.

Aeka looked around the table once again. "Don't tell me Russ isn't going to show up for lunch either!"

Once again, the seat between Mihoshi and Azaka was vacant. Aeka clenched her fists together and stared hard at the empty chair, as if willing him to materialize in it.

"Don't worry, Aeka. He's probably just not hungry is all," Ryoko said, trying to calm her down. "Remember what he told us?"

"Yes, but every time we did get him to sit down to eat something, he ate everything! We didn't even have any leftovers for later if one of us got hungry," she fumed. "I don't get it. Where could he be?"

Tenchi sat there quietly and contemplated the idea for a moment. "You know, Aeka," he began. "I'm almost certain he's off training somewhere, and he doesn't want to be disturbed. I'll bet that's it."

Aeka and Ryoko both fell silent. "You know," Aeka began. "I think you're right. It makes sense, anyway. He's got to be off somewhere doing his thing."

"Doing what thing?" Misaki asked, curious.

"He trains every day. He has a very strenuous exercise routine that he does on a daily basis. But frankly, I don't know how he can get into any better shape than he is in already! Half the clothes we tried to get him to wear wouldn't fit over his arms!" Aeka frowned and mumbled to herself, something about Russ being pigheaded and a barbarian. Asuza ignored everything that had to do with Russ and he turned his attention to Yosho, preparing to discuss his absence from Jurai.

"What does he do to exercise? How long does he train?" Misaki continued.

"He trains for almost every waking moment! He basically takes a break to eat or use the bathroom, and then he goes at it again," Aeka explained. "Washu made him a gravity enhancer to give him a more effective workout. He does almost all the normal exercise routine stuff under extreme gravity."

At that moment, the kitchen doors opened and the servants entered with the food, in much the same manner as the dinner from last night and the breakfast from this morning. Once again, everybody smiled and waited with eager anticipation for the upcoming meal.

Lunch passed without incident, and attendance from Russ. And once again, everybody filed out of the dining hall hastily, but this time eager to find other things to do. Misaki caught up with Aeka and decided to spend a little bit of time with her. Sasami and Ryo-Ohki tagged along as well. Azaka and Kamidake went to the training room, Ryoko and Tenchi left the palace to tour the outdoors, Yosho, Funaho, Asuza, Nobuyuki, and Washu all went off together, and Kiyone and Mihoshi took off on their own once again.

Time seemed to kick into overdrive and fly by, until it was almost dinnertime. Aeka, her mother, and Sasami with Ryo-Ohki all went shopping together, and they bought themselves a huge mass of new clothes. Not so much as bought as was simply took home, since the store owners refused to charge anybody from the Royal Family, but nevertheless, it was a fun trip for the four.

They got to talk about various things, mainly about the life Aeka and Sasami were enjoying back on Earth. Aeka talked about her improved friendship with the Space Pirate Ryoko, about her flower garden outside the house, and about the various things she did with her brother. She explained some of the earth customs that were a bit different than the events that occurred on Jurai, but she never mentioned the detail that she had been depressed for so long.

One thing led to another until the subject about Russ came up again. Aeka bristled at the fact that he missed two meals already, and she had no idea where he went. However, Misaki decided to help Aeka go find him, and the first place she figured they should look is the training room. Azaka and Kamidake should be there as well, and if Russ wasn't there, they could at least all go to dinner together.

After dropping off their new stuff, the foursome made their way to the royal training room, where Azaka and Kamidake should've been training their warriors and noblemen in the ways of combat. However, when they got there, they found the person they were looking for.

Russ stood on one side of the mat, and Azaka stood on the other, and they were both dressed for fighting. Azaka was in his combat robes, and Russ was in his green karate gi, poised for battle. The crowd around both individuals was very large, but Misaki pressed her way to the front, followed by Aeka, Sasami, and Ryo-Ohki. She could hear Azaka saying something to Russ, and the room quieted down to listen.

"Are you ready to begin, Russ? I've been waiting for an opportunity to spar with you," Azaka said, loosing up his shoulders a bit and assuming a defensive stance.

"I'm ready when you are. Don't hold back," Russ responded, taking up a new stance.

"I think you're misjudging how strong we really are," he responded, drawing a soft "Oooh" from the audience. Russ just smirked and indicated with his hand to bring it on. "Wait, aren't you going to choose a weapon?"

"No. I fight mainly hand to hand. There isn't a weapon strong enough for me to use. I keep breaking them," Russ explained. "But feel free to use your staff."

Azaka looked at the blue orb on the end of his weapon and decided to use the staff, despite the nagging feeling that it would be unfair. "Are you sure? It may be a little unfair."

"Hmmm… unfair. You're right," he said, looking around the room. He lifted his arm and pointed at Kamidake. "Go join your partner. That will make it a little more fair."

Both Azaka and Kamidake looked at him, bewilderment and surprise creasing their expressions. Russ maintained a poker face and nodded his head. Misaki's eyes widened slightly, wondering what he was really capable of. She figured that it would be a very interesting match. Everybody sat down to watch.

Kamidake hesitated, and didn't move from his position. "What are you waiting for? Go join him. I'm serious," Russ told him.

Both knights shrugged their shoulders and he moved next to Azaka, doing a little warm up exercise to get himself ready for the match. "Are you ready to begin now?" Azaka asked, his anticipation getting the better of him.

Russ looked at both of them and scratched his head. "Computer, give me three hundred times Earth normal gravity."

A soft beeping emanated from the device on his arm as a crushing weight settled down on him over a span of ten seconds. The floor beneath him bowed slightly and a bunch of cracking noises came from under his feet. Nodding his head from side to side, growing accustomed to the enhanced gravity, he took up his original poise and nodded his head. "Now, I'm ready."

Misaki's eyes grew larger. "What did he just do, Aeka?"

"That's the gravity enhancer I was telling you about. He weighs three hundred times more than he really should right now," she explained. "But I still think Azaka and Kamidake are at a disadvantage. I hope he controls himself and doesn't hurt them."

Now the empress looked at Aeka with horror. "What!? How strong is he?" she said in an exasperated whisper.

"Far stronger than anybody I've ever seen in my life," she said, looking into her mother's eyes. "I've seen what he is capable of, or at least according to him, a small taste of it."

"How can anybody have that much energy and be able to hide it all?" she said, amazed.

"I don't know, but he does it. The frightening thing is he says that there are others who are more powerful than him."

"Wow. Well, it's looks like they're ready to begin. Let's see what he can do," she said, watching in eager anticipation.

"Whenever you're ready, you guys. Just say the word and we'll begin," Russ said, not having moved an inch, staring between the two knights.

"If you insist. We'll begin right now!" Kamidake shouted, sprinting forward and swinging his staff around his body. The instant he got in range, he swung his staff at Russ's midsection, whistling through the air with incredible force and speed of the strike, but it passed through him, as if he were a ghost. He looked at Russ in surprise, and then quickly tried backhanding him in the head, which also passed right through. After making several vain attempts to kick, punch, or hit him with the staff and freehand, he jumped back a few paces and stared at his opponent.

Russ grinned in response. "You missed," he taunted.

"Oh my god, he's fast!" Kamidake said to himself. "He wasn't fooling when he said we'd be at a disadvantage! And he isn't even warmed up!" He steeled himself up a bit more, sweat beading on his forehead and trickling down the back of his neck in miniature rivers. Azaka had much the same reaction. "You try him, Azaka," he said, turning around and looking at his counterpart, then backing off a few more paces.

"You may be fast, but lets see you dodge this!" he shouted, the blue orb on his staff glowing with radiant energy as he charged up his power, the energy roaring around him in a bluish white aura. He launched it at Russ when the blast was ready, resembling the wave he used when he fought against Ketta, the black knight, and it sailed toward him, forcing air out of the way and sizzling with the incredible Jurai energy.

Russ simply placed a hand out in front of him and the blast slammed into it with a thunderous explosion, then dissipated. He returned his hand to his side and he smiled. Azaka and Kamidake both looked at him with fear in their eyes and hearts. What did they just get themselves into?

"Come on, guys. I'm not even warmed up yet. I promise I won't seriously injure either of you," he informed them, still having not moved from his original position.

Misaki couldn't help but stare at Russ with her jaw hanging slightly open. However, she wasn't the only one that had that same look on her face. Nearly everybody who saw what just transpired was sweating profusely, even though they hadn't done anything.

"That blast would've vaporized any normal man, but it didn't even scorch Russ's hand! What is he made of anyway?" Misaki asked herself, fretting slightly at the knight's inability to do any damage to him whatsoever.

Misaki was well aware of her own abilities, and she could easily take both Azaka and Kamidake if she wanted, but she had never met anybody else who could do the same, and look so cool and calm about it too. It was frightening. After Azaka and Kamidake finished their sparring match, she'd step up to the ring and give him a try as well. She wanted to find out how well she measured up to him.

Aeka watched him quietly, a very slight smile creasing her lips. It was strange to see him be so considerate in the middle of a fight, even though it was only a sparring match. He knew how much energy to use to keep from injuring others, but most people she knew of would take great pride in causing pain and suffering to others.

The little blue haired princess watched the short scuffle in awe and wonder, curious as to how he could move so fast. It was the neatest thing she's ever seen. It was like watching a video game as a live performance. Several two player fighting games came to mind, and she giggled to herself at her ability to continually beat Azaka at his favorite one. She turned her attention back to the trio as they began to have a second go at it.

Azaka and Kamidake both stood side by side, facing what seemed to be an invincible opponent, and they knew it would be very difficult to defeat him. Most likely impossible, but they weren't at full power and neither was he, so it was anybody's guess as to who was the most powerful and skilled warrior between the three. They both looked into Russ's eyes and couldn't find a single weakness in his front. They turned toward each other and nodded together, an unspoken attack pattern agreed on between the two. Without warning, they attacked.

Russ remained in his position and watched them both streak toward him, both yelling their battlecry and swinging their weapons around in a predictable pattern. As they both reached him, they swung their staffs at two different targets. Azaka aimed for Russ's head, and Kamidake went for his midsection. The staffs howled through the air as they raced toward their targets. But just before they made contact, they stopped instantly with loud clangs. Both their faces went to utter surprise as Russ had used his forearms to block each swing. Both staffs remained in contact with each arm and Russ's face was still a mask of concentration, his gaze fixated in a single direction.

Quickly withdrawing the weapons, they quickly spun them around their bodies and made a second attempt to strike him in random positions. However, Russ's arms blocked each attempt. What made it frustrating is that they never even saw his arms move. They just appeared in their positions without so much as a blur of motion.

Jumping back once more, Azaka and Kamidake went into a hacking frenzy, trying to hit Russ somewhere on his body. The speed they both exhibited was remarkable, but it was nowhere near enough to break through Russ's impenetrable defenses. The staffs swung through the air, whistling with extreme force and power, but each time his arms blocked their offense easily. To the crowd, the staffs were nothing but unintelligible blurs of white mass swinging through the air.

Finally, after about two solid minutes of trying to hit their opponent with the staffs, they jumped back a few feet and glared at him.

"Aren't you even going to go on the offensive!? You've done nothing but stand there!" Kamidake yelled, clearly flustered.

"He's right. You've never even moved an inch! What's the deal?" Azaka growled, annoyed and frustrated. "Don't you think we can't handle ourselves?"

Russ sighed. "That's not it. Your moves are predictable. You guys work in patterns."

"What!? What are you talking about?" Kamidake said, still trying to catch his breath.

"I mean is you work in a pattern. You have a set number of steps," he began to explain, bringing his hands up and showing quotation marks when he said the word, 'steps.' "That you guys follow. Once you begin one move, you follow it up with another one. Now, against someone who doesn't know your fighting style or technique, it could be very effective. But what do you do against someone who knows exactly what you're going to do on the very first swing? I put almost no effort at all into blocking your shots because I knew exactly where each one of them were going to end up!"

Azaka and Kamidake looked at each other in realization. "You mean you knew exactly what we were going to do?" Azaka asked.

"That's right. But now, you have absolutely no idea what I'm going to do now, do you?" he said, pointing at the two knights. "You don't, for two reasons. One. You haven't seen me fight before. Two. When I do fight, I don't use patterns. I fight with random blows, so even if you DID see me fight before, I never do the same thing twice, unless I find it effective against my opponent. But then I change it again to something different." Russ took in a deep breath and sighed. "I'll demonstrate. I'll go much slower than I would normally go, so you can see how much more effective a random, chaotic fighting style can be. The only thing I base myself on is a rhythm."

An uncharacteristic silence fell over the audience as they listened to his wisdom. Azaka and Kamidake also listened to what he had to say, and they exchanged knowing glances. "We can fight randomly too, Russ. We didn't know you knew our style of fighting."

"I don't, but based on your first couple of attacks, I figured it out in a hurry, since it is similar to another style of fighting. Frankly, I found it quite simple. No offense intended, though," he said quickly, noticing a couple wrathful scowls from the audience and one from Kamidake.

"Our style of fighting has been one of the very best for thousands of years. It's NOT a simple style, and it takes many years of practice and patience to learn it," Kamidake argued, mildly offended.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you upset, but you just told me that this same pattern has been used for thousands of years, right? Don't you think others have learned that technique during that time period? Several thousand years is a VERY long time."

Kamidake's aggressive posture wilted and he frowned thoughtfully. "I suppose you're right. But only the Jurians know of this fighting style and technique. We don't train outsiders."

"You don't have to. If someone survives a battle with one of you, don't you think he's going to retain the knowledge of his fight and then use it against you, or perhaps train others in the same style of combat?" Russ questioned, pressing his point.

"I understand what you mean, Russ. What do you suggest we do?" Azaka asked, genuinely interested. Kamidake remained a little more skeptical.

"I'd tell you randomness, but that isn't really a style at all. About the only thing I could tell you to do is invent new techniques. If you fight against someone, do not lose, or he'll retain the knowledge of your battle and possibly return to use it against you. If something like that does occur, you invent a new technique to take its place. That's about as close to random as you can get," Russ told them.

"Well, show us what you can do, Russ," Azaka challenged, taking up a defensive posture.

"Okay. What about you, Kamidake? Two on one, or should I just spar with Azaka here?" Russ asked, nodding his head from side to side to work out a kink in his neck.

"I'll just observe and see what you two do." The red knight walked off the mat and stood at the edge with his arms folded over his chest, his staff resting on the floor and being held up by one of his hands.

"Begin," Azaka ordered, tensing up his whole body in preparation for a massive charge from Russ.

"Okay," came the answer.

Russ slowly began walking over to him, his face not showing any emotion or any indication of what his intentions were. It was the perfect poker face. His footsteps thumped across the mat in a steady rhythm and the floorboards under his feet cracked and snapped from the extreme weight.

Azaka's face was also contorted into concentration, however, he couldn't figure out why Russ was taking his time approaching him. It was very unusual to do something like that. Perhaps he was going to charge when he got a few paces closer. Perspiration drenched his robes from the stress of waiting for a surprise lunge, which never came.

Finally standing directly in front of the blue knight, Russ stared down into his eyes, almost as if trying to read his thoughts. Then, without warning, Russ made his first move, and attacked Azaka. Bringing his left leg up, he snapped his foot toward Azaka's side, level with his ribs. Speedily, he brought his arm in front of the blow and blocked it, pain lancing through his arm from the force of the blow and causing a small bruise. Russ withdrew his leg, raised it higher, and snapped it forward again, aiming for the side of Azaka's head.

He never saw it coming. The blow connected and Azaka stumbled away, more from surprise and shock than from actual pain. Staring at Russ, he quickly mounted his own offense and charged his opponent, swinging his staff at Russ's midsection. Russ quickly blocked it, grabbed the staff in his hand, and buried his left fist into Azaka's stomach, forcing all the air out of him and causing him to drop to one knee. Quickly capitalizing on the situation, Russ brought his arm down in one swift stroke toward the back of Azaka's neck.

Everybody gasped in horror as they expected to see a deadly blow, but it never came. Russ stopped his hand just above his neck, and then gently brought his hand down to rest on his target.

"You're dead," he announced in triumph. "You should've been able to block all of those blows. What happened?"

Azaka wheezed a few moments as he started to catch his breath again. "You're too fast," he said simply. "There's no way I can block shots that move that fast."

"You were moving faster when you two attacked me. I was moving slower in comparison with what you're capable of," he answered, frowning.

"He's right, Azaka. He was moving pretty slowly," Kamidake interjected from the side. "However, I never expected him to pull blows like he did. I would've gone flying as well."

"It was only three blows. Of course, if I pull those three blows again, you'll know exactly how to block them, now won't you?"

"Yes. I see your point." Azaka stood up, clutching his stomach and rubbing his sore arm. "But you're not going to do those same three moves again, are you?"

"It depends. I don't know. That's the key of random fighting. You have no idea if I'm going to pull those same three moves again or not. If I do it again and you block it, chances are I won't do it again. But then again, I may throw that combo in if I think you're not expecting it. I don't even know what I'm going to do. It's all spur the moment type stuff."

"Well, ready for a second go?" Azaka invited. "Just spar. I'd like to see how I measure up."

"Use your full power, okay? I don't know if you guys get enough challenges around here to use your power to the extreme, but I'll be a sufficient opponent," Russ grinned. He couldn't help but brag about his power from time to time.

Azaka looked at him, then smiled and nodded his head. "Kamidake? Hold onto my staff for me, will you? I'm going this one hand to hand."

"Are you sure?" Kamidake asked, concerned.

"Yeah." He tossed his staff to his friend and Kamidake caught it easily. "Ready?" he asked, turning toward Russ again.

"Yup. Let's go."

Elsewhere, Tenchi and Ryoko were casually walking through the local city, stopping at nearly every store to window shop. Tenchi didn't mind and contented himself with just being beside Ryoko the whole time. He never realized how beautiful she appeared and how in love with her he really was until two weeks ago, when Russ arrived on Earth. Still not being able to figure out why he made love that night, he distracted himself when Ryoko stopped in front of a candy store, and he lost his train of thought.

"Oooh, I haven't had that kind of candy in a long time! Tenchi? Can we go inside?" Ryoko begged, tugging on his arm and pointing to a box of a very weird looking candy. It was covered in what looked like glitter and it resembled the shape of gumdrops.

Tenchi smiled and nodded his head. "Okay. What is that, anyway?"

Ryoko smiled and giggled like a little girl. "It's really good. Come on! Let's get it. We can share it too."

"We're going to spoil our dinner, Ryoko," he said, seriously. But he softened up again and took Ryoko's hand. "But I guess one snack never hurt anybody."

Ryoko led him inside and made her way to one of the bulk candy bins, where she grabbed a plastic bag and immediately began filling it with the candy she wanted. A few moments later, she finished and tied the bag closed, but barely. She filled it to the point where you couldn't fill it anymore.

"Are you sure you have enough candy there, Ryoko?" Tenchi asked, shaking his head in amusement.

"It's my favorite and I haven't had it in years. I need to feed my craving." Ryoko handed Tenchi the bag and he took at closer look at the contents.

"What does this stuff taste like?" he asked, scrunching his nose. "It doesn't look all that appetizing. The sparkle things look like glitter."

"That stuff is sugar," she explained while opening up another bin and filling a second bag with a different candy. "But don't worry, you'll like it."

"Ryoko! What are you doing?" he asked, annoyed, eyeing the second bag. "I thought we were just getting one bag of candy! And besides, you filled this thing up to almost bursting."

"This is for later," she said, smiling seductively. "We'll eat this when we go to bed tonight." She floated over and put her arm around Tenchi, then whispered into his ear. "This candy has a neat little effect on the people who eat it. You'll see what it is, tonight." She blew into his ear causing him to break out in goosebumps.

"Hey, come on. Don't do that here! People are staring!" Tenchi hissed, pushing her off of him a little. "Just act normally, okay?"

Her face looked like she was going to cry. Hanging her head in shame, she quietly floated beside him, guilt all over her visage. Tying up the last bag of candy, she silently floated over to the counter and set the candy down.

Tenchi shook his head and wondered why she took everything to extremes. He set down the bag of candy that he was carrying and reached for his wallet under the mass of robes. "I'm sorry, Ryoko. I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. It's just that it embarrasses me. I'm not used to that."

"I know, Tenchi. But I've always done what I want, and flirting with you in public is fun and it makes me feel good. I wish it didn't embarrass you like you say it does. I want everybody to know how much I love you."

Now Tenchi felt guilty. Curling his arm around her waist, he pulled her closer and kissed her on the cheek. "I love you too, but doing that kind of thing in public isn't very good. Holding hands and little kisses are fine, but nothing more than that, okay?"

"Okay."

The young store clerk approached the counter with a smile. "Good evening, sir. Is this all for today?" he asked, lifting up the two bags and setting them down on a scale.

"Yes. How much will that be?" Tenchi asked, opening his wallet and thumbing through the various bills.

"Let's see," he said, tallying up the price on the register. He looked back at Tenchi and stared at him for a moment. "Hey, aren't you Prince Tenchi?"

Closing his eyes and letting out a quiet groan, he shook his head. "I'm just Tenchi. How much does that come to?"

The clerk looked at him in bewilderment. Here he was, standing face to face with the crown prince of Jurai. It felt to be such an honor just to be in his presence. The sound of Tenchi clearing his throat snapped him out of his trance.

"I'm sorry, your highness. That was rude of me. Take the candy with our compliments," he said, bowing humbly.

"Not again," he groaned. "I'll pay for the candy like everybody else does. I'm not the prince of Jurai, okay?"

The young clerk trembled slightly. "I cannot, your highness. Please, take the candy with our compliments, and have a very pleasant evening." Everybody in the store stopped and stared at Tenchi, in awe that they were in his company and didn't even know it.

Tenchi was about to argue the point further when Ryoko put a hand on his shoulder. "Just do as he says. They want you to take the candy, so do it," she whispered, drawing a glare from Tenchi. "Everybody sees you as the prince here. But you're my treasure, and you're all mine." She kissed his cheek and squeezed him tighter. "Come on, Tenchi. Let's enjoy ourselves and the candy together, okay?"

Sighing in defeat, he bowed to the clerk. "Thank you very much. I appreciate it." He picked up both bags of candy and led Ryoko out of the store, with the clerk and everybody else staring after him. "I guess I have to get used to that here or something." He grinned sheepishly at the floating space pirate next to him. "So, where do you want to go eat it at?"

"I saw a bench outside of the palace in the garden. Why don't we go over there?"

"Okay. I guess we can do that," he said, smiling at her. "It's a nice day with warm weather and the scenery is beautiful."

"WHAT scenery, Tenchi?" she said, floating closer to him and taking his hand, winking at him.

"Oh, I don't know," he teased. "That tree over there has a very nice figure."

Ryoko grabbed him in both arms and started crushing him. "What did you say, Tenchi?" she whispered into his ear, squeezing him even tighter.

"I said you're very beautiful, Ryoko!" he managed to choke out. He took in a huge breath of air when Ryoko released him.

"That's better." She hugged him much more gently and kissed his cheek. Without warning, she teleported the both of them to the garden bench, which thankfully wasn't occupied, and let go of Tenchi.

Looking around with utter surprise and confusion, he realized what just happened. "I wish you'd warn me before doing that, okay?"

Ryoko appeared confused, but nodded her head. "Sure Tenchi. But now," she said, sitting down and pulling the prince down next to her. "Time to indulge this candy!"

"It sure has been a long time since we've been to Jurai. It's amazing how much everything has remained the same," Kiyone said, making her way around a different area of the city. She stopped in front of a store that sold various Jurian clothing and checked out a black lace dress that was on display in the window. It was made of silk and had plenty of room in the cups, and did not have shoulder straps. It almost shined like a well-polished spaceship.

"You said it, Kiyone. I remember most of these stores down this street," Mihoshi said, who was walking slowly next to her partner. She noticed Kiyone's gaze fixated on the dress in the window. "That's a really pretty dress. Why don't you get it for yourself?" Mihoshi smiled and pressed her face to the window to drown out the reflection from the nearby shops.

Kiyone sighed to herself and shook her head. "There's no way I could afford this. I have more important things to worry about, like paying the rent on our apartment." Her head drooped slightly and the smile melted off of her lips.

"Come on, Kiyone. You deserve something nice after all that you do. Don't worry so much about the money," she urged, smiling even wider.

"I have to worry about the money because nobody else does. And if we can't afford the payments on the apartment, we'll lose it and they'll kick us out," Kiyone mumbled unhappily.

Mihoshi's eyes sparkled. "Come on inside and let's take a closer look at it," she giggled, pulling on her partner's arm and nearly dragging her to the entrance. "Maybe they have it on sale or something."

"Come on, Mihoshi! Even if it WAS on sale there is still no way I could afford it. We're already in the red this month." Kiyone began resisting Mihoshi's enthusiasm but she had no real will in it. Finally allowing herself to be dragged in, she sighed in defeat.

A well-dressed entrepreneur approached both Galaxy Police officers almost immediately. "Good evening, ladies. Is there anything I can do for you today?" he asked with a smile and offering his hand.

Mihoshi immediately took his hand and shook. "I'm Mihoshi and this is my partner, Kiyone. We were looking at that black dress in the window. How much is it? Kiyone was interested in it."

The man turned around and approached the display. "This dress here?"

"Yes! That's the one!" she giggled happily.

"Let's see. The price on this dress is normally a hundred, forty thousand yen, but we've got a half-off sale today, so it's marked down to seventy thousand yen. A very good buy," he added.

"See, Kiyone! It is on sale. Let's get it for you. We can manage the money somehow."

Her partner shook her head. "Sorry, Mihoshi. Like I said, we're already in the red this month and there is no way I could afford that, even with it being on sale." She turned toward the salesman. "I'm sorry to trouble you, sir."

He looked at both of them and thought of the names again. Suddenly, it clicked. These two individuals were the galaxy police officers that assisted the princess against the imposter Yosho! He had heard about the many amazing things that they all had done together and all the hardships they endured. Wanting to meet them both for some time, he realized that the wish had come true. Here they were, standing in front of him.

Also, an announcement made by the empress of Jurai, Funaho, made earlier today had entered his memory too. She had ordered that everything be given to them, and the bill sent to the emperor. However, do it all discretely. He couldn't help but smile.

"Ladies? I've always wanted to meet you two. It gives me great pleasure and honor to finally be able to do so." He bowed humbly. "Kiyone? Do you want this dress?"

"I'm sorry sir, but we can't afford it," she answered, hanging her head and looking away. Why did everything have to revolve around MONEY?

"Oh, that's no problem," he announced, preparing to remove the dress from the display. "We would be honored if you would accept the dress with our appreciation, free of charge."

Kiyone's jaw dropped straight through the floor as she nearly fainted. Staring blankly at him, Mihoshi broke the deafening silence.

"Yay! See? Everything worked out, just like I said!" she giggled, clapping her hands together. "Yes, we'll take the dress. Thank you very much, sir!"

"Mihoshi! We can't accept that! We'd get in serious trouble with our superiors for accepting thanks for doing a job!" Kiyone said, thinking of a few officers who had accepted tokens of gratitude and who were demoted because of it.

Realizing he was about to lose a sale, he clerk interrupted her. "It's not free. The empress ordered that everything that you choose be billed to them. We're still getting our money, so don't be concerned over it."

"That's just as bad!" Kiyone retorted.

"Come on," Mihoshi begged. "Treat yourself to something nice and stop putting duty above all else. It's obvious that Jurai is in debited to you and they want to repay it with thanks."

"But the Galaxy Police regulations…"

"Don't worry about them. I'm sure the empress would explain it if they asked," Mihoshi interrupted sternly. "We're getting this dress. End of story." She then smiled and giggled.

Staring at her partner in shock, she couldn't think of a comeback. It was so uncharacteristic of her to take charge of ANYTHING! Watching the clerk remove the dress very carefully and fold it up, she silently followed him to the counter, duty screaming at her to refuse the offering. But strangely, she finally decided to turn her nose up at duty and allow Jurai to offer her a little token of thanks.

"Is there anything you'd like, ma'am?" he asked, turning toward Mihoshi. "We have a very large variety of dresses that would look very pretty on you."

"Oh, nothing for me, thanks," she answered cheerily.

"You forced me to get something. Seems only fair that you get something too," Kiyone informed her. "Let's see what they've got. You may find something you like."

"But I have no reason to get one. I've got plenty of clothes…"

"Shut up, Mihoshi," she growled. "Sir? Could you recommend something for my partner here?"

"Hmmm," he said, approaching the two. He casually walked in a full circle around her, admiring her figure and her facial features, paying particular attention to her eye color. "I think a dress similar to yours, but in a light blue that matches her eyes would look the best. Except with maybe more sparkle. Yeah, I think that would look good." He nodded his head confidently. "Let me see if I have something in stock. Come with me," he said, making his way deeper into the store.

The two GP followed him to a rack that had various full-length dresses and he browsed the selection. A few moments later, he withdrew a dress that was a perfect match for Mihoshi's eyes. It glittered and sparkled, as if it were covered in thousands of tiny little mirrors. Mihoshi gasped and carefully took the dress from his hands, pressing it to herself and turning toward her partner.

"What do you think, Kiyone? Would I look good in this dress?"

Kiyone smiled and nodded. "I think that would look great on you. Go try it on. I want to see you in it."

"The dressing rooms are right over here, ma'am," the salesman said, gesturing to an area nearby. "We also do alterations while you wait. If something doesn't fit quite right, we'll fix it so that it does. Why don't you go try your dress on as well, ma'am?" he asked, looking at Kiyone.

"Okay," she said, smiling and blushing slightly. "I've never worn anything like that before. I'm curious myself as to how I'll look in it."

"I'll be right back. I left it on the counter."

He hurried off and returned a moment later with the dress, and showed Kiyone to the dressing room. A few minutes later, they exited the rooms at the same time and turned toward each other, both of them admiring the other.

"Wow! Kiyone! You look so good!" Mihoshi squealed. "What about me?"

Kiyone blushed and looked down to the floor shyly. "You look great as well, Mihoshi. That dress really goes good with your eyes."

They each turned toward a wall of full-length mirrors, and began to admire themselves. Kiyone carefully tugged on a few spots of the dress, trying different postures and feeling the dress flow around her legs while Mihoshi smiled at herself, then stood next to her partner, leaning against her and seeing how they looked as a pair.

The clerk caught himself staring at the two of them, and feeling a little flushed and turned on. "You look absolutely fabulous! Those dresses almost seem to have been created just for you two ladies. Even I'm very impressed with how well you look in them."

They both turned toward him and continued to blush. He approached Kiyone and circled her, pulling at certain points on the dress and testing the overall fit. A moment later, he gave the same treatment to Mihoshi.

"Well, I must say, they fit nearly perfectly. It is very rare when that happens. But it's always convenient when it does," he laughed. "Well, change back and we'll box those up for you so you can take them home."

"Thanks again, sir," Kiyone said, re-entering the dressing room. Mihoshi did the same and they emerged a few moments later, dressed in their casual Japanese style clothing. They followed the man to the counter and waited patiently as he carefully folded each dress and placed them in white crepe paper, then placed them both in large boxes, sealing them with tape. He then smiled and handed the boxes over with a humble bow.

"Thank you for allowing me the privilege to wait on you. Enjoy the dresses and have a nice evening. You'll be the envy of the palace with those dresses."

They each bowed back in return. "Thank you, sir. We appreciate the trouble."

"No trouble at all," he said with a laugh. "I've always wanted to meet you two and I am honored to have helped you today."

Both girls smiled and bowed once more, then departed the store.

"I still feel funny about taking a dress and not paying for it, especially one that is as expensive as this one," Kiyone mussed.

"Stop your worrying. Galaxy Police won't even hear about it. I'm sure a lot more people accept little tokens of gratitude without them knowing all the time," Mihoshi said, rolling her eyes. "Nothing to worry about, except the fact dinner will be served in a little while."

"Oh my gosh! I lost track of the time while we were in there! We should get going," said Kiyone, increasing her speed and making her way to the palace. Mihoshi easily kept pace beside her partner.

Azaka and Kamidake both stumbled off of the training mat, battered and bruised, their egos deflated to almost non-existence. Never, in their entire lives, have they been so easily defeated by anyone not of the Royal Family. Misaki walked next to them, also roughed up considerably, her own ego tucked between her legs as she limped away with the two knights. Russ remained on the mat, a slight grin creasing his expression, his clothing slightly damp from perspiration from the enhanced gravity and extreme exercise.

Most everybody in the room stared at him in awe, trying to figure out how in the world he could've defeated not one, not two, but all three of the competitors so easily. And they were the strongest people they've ever seen. Several people were sweating in fear while others just shook their heads in utter amazement at the feats of enormous strength and speed that the spiky haired one possessed. And he didn't even look warmed up, AND he was under an enormous amount of gravity.

The floor was shattered in several places where Russ jumped into the air and landed again while dodging leg sweeps. Several people on the maintenance crew realized that they had their work cut out for them this time. Fortunately, since Russ threw no ki blasts and blocked all the ones that were thrown at him, the amount of damage that was averted was staggering.

While the trio walked off the stage to take a breather, another man came up on the mat who was well built and muscular, but was a tad shorter than Russ. He casually walked up behind the Saiyan and smacked him on the back of his head. Everybody gasped in horror, but the man continued smiling as Russ rolled his eyes and grinned.

"That you, Tom?" he asked, not even turning around.

"Dammit, how do you know it's always me, huh?" he laughed, walking around Russ and standing in front of him.

"You're the only one who whacks me on the back of the head like that. Plus I can't detect you since you have no ki."

"Maybe I should kick you in the crotch then. Then you wouldn't know it was me," he said, snickering.

"And once I got back up, you'd cease to exist," Russ warned, also grinning. "But anyway, what's up? How'd you know I was here?"

"Duh. All you ever do is train, so I figured the first place to look would be in a training room."

Aeka bristled slightly, even though it wasn't meant to make fun of her for fretting all that time looking for him. She looked at her mother who sat down next to her once again and rubbed her sore arm.

"So, you want to train a little more? You can fight ME now," Tom challenged, producing a weapon from under his shirt.

Russ laughed. "Here we go again." He turned toward a man who was standing nearby. "Hey you there, sir. May I borrow your staff?"

He looked at him incredulously and shakily nodded his head. "Sure." Tossing the staff to Russ, he caught it easily and swung it around a couple times.

"I wish I could form my own energy sword or staff. Having to use these physical weapons suck," he complained to himself.

Misaki overheard his complaint. She couldn't believe that he couldn't form an energy sword out of his ki. A man, who was capable of defeating everybody on the planet of Jurai, couldn't master one of the simplest techniques of forming an energy weapon. Smiling slightly in satisfaction that she could teach him something that he didn't know pleased her immensely. Before Russ left the planet, she made it a point to teach him how to do just that.

Tom swung his weapon around a few times and smiled at Russ. "Time for a little showboating."

Russ laughed and shook his head. "You and those nunchucks. I swear, one of these days you're going to bust yourself in the head or something stupid."

Swinging the weapon once more, Tom speedily began whipping them all around his body at incredible speed, the nunchucks whistling through the air. He began making karate sound effects, causing Russ to start laughing even harder. However, everybody else who was watching him fell silent, quietly watching him perform with a weapon that they have never seen before. The weapon flew all around his waist, around his legs, over his shoulders and alternated from hand to hand.

After about a minute of fast and furious showboating, Tom held his weapon out in front of him, ready for combat.

Russ grinned. "You're better than I remember. But now, it's my turn," he said, swing the staff a couple of times, then began spinning it at an insane rate, as he speedily whipped the staff through the air, making it appear only as a blur to the audience. He spun it all around his body, however, he kept himself silent, and the only sound in the room was the staff soaring through the air.

He went for the same amount of time that Tom did and held the staff in his hand, ready for combat. "I've got a better idea. Do you remember the November song by Mythos?"

Tom nodded his head. "Yeah." He thought a moment more then cringed. "Don't tell me you want to do that… thing."

"Oh, quit complaining. Everybody who has seen it has liked it. I don't understand why you don't like doing it."

Falling silent, he couldn't think of a suitable retort and he folded his arms over his chest, frowning. Russ walked off the mat to the corner he was originally training at, picked up his stereo system, and returned to the padded area.

"I'm glad I brought this thing with me," he said, setting it down on the edge away from the crowd. "Let's see… Mythos… Mythos… Ahhh, here it is." Selecting the song he was looking for, he turned toward Tom. "Put those things away and grab a staff, pinhead."

"Shut up. I'm going." Pointing to the guard who was standing nearby, he politely asked for the staff, which the man gave him. He thanked him then returned to the center of the mat, where Russ was patiently waiting.

"You ready?" asked Russ, grinning widely.

Tom swung the staff a couple times and stood it on end. "I hate this," he grumbled. "Yeah, I'm ready."

"Good." He quickly pressed play on the stereo and turned the volume up quite loudly, but not uncomfortably loud, and he took up his position.

The music began to play, fading in slowly, as Russ and Tom began to rock back and forth to the rhythm.

"What's he doing?" Misaki asked, rubbing a bruise on her leg.

"I have no idea. This is the first time I've seen whatever it is he's about to do," Aeka answered. She watched him in wonder, curious as to what he had in mind.

As the music continued to play, it went into full force a few moments later. Both Russ and Tom moved at exactly the same time, perfectly synchronized to the music's rhythm, as they slowly spun the staffs and performed martial arts in slow motion.

Aeka gasped. "It's a dance," she whispered in wonder. Now that was something she has never seen anybody do before, and definitely didn't expect Russ to have a talent for. Contemplating the fact that she hadn't danced in years, it brought back fond memories of the many dances in the ballroom at the palace. She thought of the very first dance she had, with a young prince of a neighboring star system. Neither of them were any good at it, but it was fun. Everybody applauded her valiant attempt at it.

Watching Russ perform his dance pleased her, and she noticed that she had something else in common with him. Imagining what could be her first dance with him, she sighed in regret, knowing that he'd probably never want to do something like that. However, she'd never know unless she asked.

"Wow! I had no idea he could dance too," whispered Sasami to her sister. "The music is really neat too. So calm and peaceful."

Aeka nodded and continued to watch both Russ and Tom perform the routine flawlessly, keeping in perfect time. The music was calming and relaxing, but it went very well with the dance. "Yeah. I like the music too."

Sasami giggled, noting the direction of Aeka's stare and her partially open mouth. She turned toward her mother and looked up at her eyes, which were also locked on Russ. Giggling even harder, she poked her mom in the side. "What do you think, mom? Isn't that neat?"

Misaki barely acknowledged her daughter, as she was completely caught up in the dance. "Yes dear," she managed to mutter out, never letting her eyes wander from the pair.

The song drew to a close, and they both ended by keeping one knee on the mat with the staff laid on the floor, as they both appeared to bow when the song ended.

Deathly silence greeted their ears as they both cautiously looked up from their position, their foreheads beading with perspiration. They both got to their feet and looked at each other in confusion, as they both glanced around the room at the many faces, most of which carried the same, awestruck expression.

Standing up, Misaki flew over to Russ and grabbed him in a bone-crushing hug. "That was BEAUTIFUL! Please teach me that dance!" she begged.

Letting out a massive sigh of relief, he scratched behind his head. "Uh… I suppose I could do that. It shouldn't take too long to write down the steps and show you how to do it."

A woman from the audience piped up. "Would you mind teaching those of us who would also like to learn that? I think that would impress my husband a great deal."

Russ looked around the room at the many faces that basically pleaded with him to instruct them. "I think I can manage that. But I'm not sure if I have enough time. We only arrived for the Startica festival and then we intended on heading home, since some of the people who came with us have things to do back on Earth."

"Hey Russ, I'll be taking off for a bit. I'm going to tour the city for a while. I'll catch you later, alright?" Tom said, retrieving his nunchucks and tossing the staff to the guard.

Misaki turned toward him. "No. You're coming with us to the dining room. Dinner will be served shortly, and I'd like you to join us. I assume you're Russ's friend?"

"Yes ma'am. Who are you?"

"My name is Misaki, and I'm one of the empresses of Jurai," she said flatly. "And I won't take no for an answer."

Tom's jaw dropped slightly, but he nodded his head. "Okay. I don't have a problem with that. I ate a few hours ago so I'm not all that hungry, though."

"So what. You can keep me company," Russ said, grinning. "Introduce yourself to her, silly."

Tom smacked his head and approached her. "I'm sorry. My name is Tom Franklin. It's a pleasure to meet you, your highness." He bowed graciously and stood up straight.

Russ cleared his throat. "He's also the captain of the starship that brought all of us here so quickly," he added.

Misaki's eyes lit up and she crushed him in one of her famous hugs. "So YOU'RE the other man who made all of this possible. Thank you so much for bringing my daughters home for Startica! I really appreciate it."

"No trouble at all," he managed to choke out, turning blue from lack of oxygen. She released him a few moments later.

"Well, let's get to the dining hall. I'm starving, especially after that workout! Azaka, Kamidake! You will join us as well," she insisted.

"Yes ma'am," they answered in unison.

"Come on, Tom," Misaki ordered, gesturing for him to follow her. "We're all going to the dining hall and are going to eat dinner together."

Following the empress out of the training arena, Aeka, Sasami, Ryo-Ohki, Russ, Azaka, Kamidake, and Tom formed a group behind her and idly chatted the entire way to the hall. The living quarters were on the way, so Russ quickly dropped his stereo off in his room and rejoined the group, just as they reached the dining room. Once again, everybody took their usual seats, except Azaka and Kamidake sat side by side, Russ and Tom sat opposite of them. All of them remained in their training clothes, and neglected to take a shower once they were finished sparring. Nobuyuki, Washu, Funaho, Asuza and Yosho were already at the table.

Misaki sat down next to her husband who stared at her in utter shock and surprise. Here was his wife, regal queen of Jurai, and she looked like the barbarian sitting at the end of the table! What on Jurai happened to her? He noticed the appearance of the two knights as well, who also looked pretty banged up.

"What happened to you?" Funaho asked, eyeing Asuza, and curious herself.

"We had a little sparring match with Aeka's boyfriend. He's really strong and fast," she explained, smiling.

Russ was in the process of taking a drink of water that he poured for himself from one of the available pitchers, and he nearly spat it all over the table when he heard Misaki say that. He blushed furiously and tried to subdue his coughing, but not being very successful. Tom just laughed and slapped him on the back, which caused him to go into another violent fit of coughing. Azaka and Kamidake both enjoyed his embarrassment and surprise.

Asuza looked knives at Russ, who was just now recovering. "Explain your actions! How dare you spar with my wife!"

Misaki snapped her gaze at her husband and let out a menacing snarl. "I can spar with whomever I want. I chose to spar with him. End of story."

Asuza ignored her. "Well? I'm waiting!"

"What's the problem? We sparred. I didn't hurt her, but only roughed her up a bit," Russ said coldly, matching the emperor's glare.

"That's no excuse, scum! You do not spar with royalty!" he shouted.

Russ's eyebrow twitched slightly at the insult and he growled something to himself. "Then tell your wife that. I was on the mat and she challenged me. What was I supposed to do?"

"Refuse the challenge and walk away. Even the lowly peasants understand that here," he shot back.

Misaki rose from her chair and got right in Asuza's face, her gaze promising a very painful whipping for later if he didn't stop his tirade. Funaho also rose from her chair and uncharacteristically matched Misaki's motions.

"You will stop insulting him. He is our guest, and you will treat him accordingly," Funaho said, keeping her voice low and menacing.

Eyeing both of his wives and the disapproving stares from everybody seated at the table, he let out an exasperated sigh and folded his arms over his chest, sitting back in his chair. Satisfied that they subdued him, Misaki and Funaho both sat down and smiled, as if nothing had happened.

Tenchi, Ryoko, Kiyone, and Mihoshi all chose that moment to join the group, and they took up their usual seats.

"Hi. Where did you two run off to?" Aeka asked, smiling at the two and pretending to ignore her father's silent rage.

"We toured part of the city. There is a lot of neat stuff here that is considerably different in comparison to Earth," Tenchi told her. "It's such a wonderful planet."

"Yes. It has a different kind of beauty than what we see on Earth." Aeka looked at the two of them a little more closely and started giggling.

"What's so funny, Aeka?" Ryoko asked, confused.

"You two were eating something, weren't you? You both have a ring of candy around your lips," Aeka told them, giggling and shaking her head. "I hope you didn't spoil your dinner appetite."

Both of them blushed slightly. "We're still hungry. Don't worry about that. But I am confused about why nobody will let me pay for anything," Tenchi mussed.

Misaki smiled. "That's because you're the prince of Jurai, silly. We get the same treatment whenever we leave the palace."

"But I'm not the prince! I'm just a…"

Misaki interrupted him. "Nonsense. You are the true prince of Jurai, and you proved it when you defeated Kagato. Now, no more of that rubbish," she ordered, sternly.

Ryoko sighed and noted that she'd have to live with the fact that he really is the prince. But still, him being of royalty seemed so… surreal. He didn't act regal or anything of the sort. But that was why she loved him. He was so simple and kind, and that's all that mattered to her.

At the other end of the table, Russ was conversing with Tom, when their topic of discussion wandered onto anime. They both had the same love for animated material, but strangely, they both preferred dubbed versions in their native language of English.

"Hey Russ, have you ever seen Saber Marionette J before?" Tom asked, curious if that was something that Russ HADN'T seen.

"Actually, no. What's it like?"

Tom nearly fell out of his chair. "Wow. An anime you've never watched. Amazing."

Russ rolled his eyes. "Cut out the sarcasm and tell me about it, butthead."

"Okay, okay. It's really cool. To explain it in a nutshell, there is this kid who is one of six survivors of a colony ship that had blown up in outer space. The drop ship managed to make it down to the planet, but only the six survived. All males too, with no way of getting any outside help. They expanded their numbers by cloning and genetic alteration," Tom explained, watching Russ's face become more and more interested. "Later, they managed to expand their numbers, but they still weren't able to create any women. In place of them, they made these things called Marionettes, or robotic women to do their bidding. But anyway, the kid somehow managed to wake up three very special Marionettes with something called Maiden Circuits, which gives them emotions. Not only that, but the fight scenes are really neat. They remind me of how you fight, meaning they do it really fast and action packed. A little later in the story, an evil tyrant, Faust, emerges and tries to start a war with Japoness, and it winds up that Otaru and his girls have to go stop him. Oh yeah, even though the girls are robotic, all three of them fall in love with Otaru, and they fight for his affections a lot."

Russ nodded his head. "This sounds really cool. Do you have the DVDs on the ship or anything so I can watch it?"

"Unfortunately, we've only got the first two volumes. I have been unable to get the third volume as of yet. The first nine episodes are completely off the wall and funny, but the next eight episodes, or the second volume, have a few depressing and emotional scenes. It's really good. And the soundtrack absolutely kicks ass," Tom said, watching his friend's excitement grow.

"I have to see it. Once we're done with dinner, I'm going to your ship to borrow the videos to watch them tonight," Russ said, smiling.

"Oh, you won't have to do that," he said, producing two DVD cases from a pocket in his jacket. "Here they are. The girl on the front of volume one here is named Lime, and the one on the second case here is named Cherry. You'll learn about them and meet them in the first five episodes. There is a third Marionette named Bloodberry, too." He lowered his voice and leaned closer to Russ. "But frankly, if I had to compare them to people we know, Lime would be a perfect Mihoshi, Cherry would be a perfect combination of Aeka and Sasami, and Bloodberry would make a perfect replica of Ryoko."

Russ raised his eyebrows considerably. "You're kidding."

"No. I'm serious. It's almost as if those characters were modeled after everybody in this room."

"Wait. How do you know what Aeka, Sasami, Ryoko, and Mihoshi act like? You've only seen them for about 15 minutes total onboard the ship!"

"Just because I'm not with you, doesn't mean I'm not keeping an eye on you," Tom said, slyly.

Russ clenched his fists under the table. "You were spying on us the whole time? Haven't you ever heard of PRIVACY?" he hissed.

"Don't worry. There are cameras and stuff in the game room, and that's where I noticed how everybody behaved. I didn't look in on you when you were sleeping or anything. I'm not that perverted," Tom said, suppressing a laugh.

Russ sighed. "Well, okay. I can't wait to see these episodes. And I'm going to want the soundtrack too."

Tom produced a CD from his coat pocket and handed it over. "Done and done," he said, grinning.

"Awesome. You come prepared for everything, don't you?"

"You bet. But we better put this conversation on hold. Most everybody is staring at us."

Both Tom and Russ looked up from their discussion and noticed that indeed, most everybody was watching them in interest. Feeling their faces redden, they smiled sheepishly and began to mind their own business.

"That sounds like a really neat anime. I want to see it too," Misaki said, clasping her hands together and smiling.

"Me too," Sasami added. Ryo-Ohki meowed a couple times, indicating that she wanted to see it too.

"Me three," Aeka said.

Tenchi, Ryoko, Azaka, Kamidake, Kiyone, Mihoshi, and Nobuyuki all agreed as well.

"I had no idea you guys liked animated stuff," Tom said, boldly joining in the conversation. "We've got many others if you're interested. But that will have to wait for later, because here comes dinner."

The kitchen door was held open by one of the servants as many more filed through, each holding large trays piled high with delicious food. Napkins were laid out over laps and the sound of clattering silverware greeted everybody's ears as the food was given out to everybody.

Tom stared at all the food, barely able to keep from drooling. "Wow! All of this is prepared fresh? I haven't had food like this in a long time. Everything we've eaten has been replicated."

"It's all fresh. I guarantee you won't leave here hungry," Russ said, grinning and trying to keep himself from drooling as well.

"Alright. Let's dig in!" Tom announced, and beginning to eat with gusto. "Mmmm! This stuff is AWESOME! I haven't tasted food this good in a long time."

Funaho smiled. "I'm glad you like it. Eat as much as you want," she invited.

"Thank you," he said, immediately shoving another piece of fish into his mouth and washing it down with red wine.

Russ groaned. "You're going to get drunk. I can see it already."

"Big deal. Everybody here, except for Sasami and you, is drinking a little wine."

"Oh, shut up." Russ began eating at his usual pace, which meant his dinner plate was scraped clean in ten seconds. He let out a quiet, but very deep belch, and he did his best to conceal it. Nevertheless, it was loud enough to raise chuckles around the entire table.

"Yum," Russ said, rubbing his stomach. "I'm ready for seconds!"

Now everybody laughed out loud, except for Asuza, who ignored him completely. Everybody ate most of the food in relative silence until Tom thought of something.

"Hey Russ?" he began

The Saiyan turned toward him with a mouthful of noodles. "Hmmm?"

"I'm assuming you remember Era, the musical group?"

He nodded yes.

"Would you like to do a live performance of it here on Jurai? You know, during the Startica festival? I think that would be really cool. And a lot of people on the ship want to do it too," Tom said.

"Really? I suppose we could do that. But where would we do it? It's not like we can just throw a concert together in five minutes. We'd have to practice and stuff. Besides, I want to play the drums this time," Russ added, grinning.

"That's no problem. We just recently came out with a portable holographic technology that will allow us to do whatever we want. We can make a stage in a couple seconds and all the instruments would be holographic, unless we made real ones."

"Interesting. Well, what album would we do? The first one or the second one?" Russ asked, taking another piece of tofu and swallowing it whole.

"Most of the second and a couple from the first. The more… peppy tracks. The ones we both like the most."

"I don't know about this. I'll have to think about it. When do you want to practice, and where would we practice?"

Everybody was listening to the two discuss their plans, but Misaki and Funaho both became very interested. However, it was Funaho who answered first.

"You could practice in our auditorium, and do the actual concert there too, if you'd like," Funaho offered. "It's really large and can seat a lot of people. How much were you going to charge to let people in?"

Russ and Tom both facefaulted, then laughed. "We don't charge for anything we do. We like to do these things because we enjoy them, not to make money. Onboard the ship, there is no money, and we have no use for it either," Tom explained, causing the empress to look at them in mild shock.

"No money? Why?"

"As I said before, we don't need it. Our ship is self-sustaining, but if we see something new that we'd like, we simply trade technology for it."

A world without money seemed almost impossible, but it also seemed like paradise if they managed to make it work. Apparently, they had.

"Well, I'm interested to hear what you guys are going to play. When shall you practice?"

"We could do it tonight. I had brought my portable projector with me so we can begin soon after dinner. I'll just have to contact my ship and tell the people to come down here. No problem."

Funaho nodded. "Okay. Don't hesitate to ask us if you need anything else."

"Thanks."

Dinner passed with small bits of conversation from everybody, but no major roundtable discussions. Russ and Tom continued to argue about anime, Azaka and Kamidake discussed their sparring match against Russ, Kiyone and Mihoshi talked about the two dresses they were given and how they were looking forward to tomorrow, and other conversations floated around the table.

Once dinner was finished, dessert was served. A delicious frozen treat native to Jurai was handed out, and was consumed almost as fast as the main course. It was sweet like ice cream, but had a texture similar to cookie dough.

The sun had already disappeared from view, and the night sounds began to play around the palace when everybody stood up from the table and proceeded to go do some nightly activities. However, everybody agreed that they should head to bed soon to get an early start on the next day.

Startica promised a day filled with fun and joy, with many enjoyable activities. Booths were being set up all along the main roads, filled with games to play and merchandise and prizes to win.

In outer space around Jurai, hundreds of Jurai vessels converged on the planet almost all at once, doing their best to find stationary orbital parking places so the crew could go down to the planet and enjoy themselves. Galaxy Police cruisers were everywhere directing traffic, doing their best to assist the Jurians in their dilemma. It was a very busy time for the GP, and some of them loathed the duty shifts they pulled, since they knew how busy the space around Jurai got during the Startica festival. Fortunately for Tom and his crew, they allowed the Star Destroyer to remain in its stationary orbit above the palace. Some Jurians didn't like outsiders receiving such wonderful treatment, but they held their tongues and decided to just enjoy themselves rather than start a fight. Some vessels hadn't come home for nearly six months.

Back on the planet, ground crews were busily organizing parking places for the hundreds of expected shuttlecraft, and other areas for people to transport to en masse. Galaxy Police officers and shuttles were stationed on the planet just for the Startica festival, to maintain the peace and make certain everybody had a nice and safe time.

This year's turnout was expected to be the highest in history, and most everybody was busily preparing for it. Inside the palace, people were scurrying everywhere, preparing the royal ballroom for a massive party. Extra cooks were brought in to prepare the massive quantities of food that would be consumed, and people were setting up hundreds of tables and thousands of chairs to accommodate the masses. Several Jurian bands were brought in to provide music.

However, even with the sheer number of people and the excitement that saturated the air, the setting up for the festival took only one evening. Every person who walked by another in the hallway was met with a smile and a warm greeting, since everyone was happy to celebrate Startica once again. It was truly a festive time of year.

Russ took the DVDs and the soundtracks that he received at dinner and returned to his room to view them. Sasami had noticed him sneaking off on his own and decided to follow him, unnoticed by everybody else, who were busily chatting amongst each other and discussing the potential activities for the next day.

Pushing open his door and walking inside, he closed the door behind him and approached the huge TV. Noticing that there wasn't a DVD player available, he silently groaned to himself and walked over to the stereo system that he brought with him.

Fortunately, this all-in-one system did everything. It played music CDs, DVDs, video CDs, and just about every type of disc media that existed on Earth, and also had video outputs among other remarkable features. Grabbing some cables that he kept in a compartment behind the system, he quickly connected them to the TV, growing more excited by the minute. He turned the TV on and his stereo system, then popped in the first disc of the first volume of Saber Marionette J, and hit the play button, just as there was a light knock on the door.

Quietly mumbling obscenities to himself for being interrupted, he intended to allow the disc to go through its previews while he opened the door. Revealing the little blue haired princess on the other side, he raised his eyebrows in surprise, but smiled warmly.

"Hi! What's up?" he said cheerily, kneeling down to her height.

"I saw you sneaking off and I wanted to see what you were doing," she said, honestly.

"I was going to watch the DVDs that Tom gave me at dinner, and after that, listen to the soundtracks." Russ returned to his feet. "You want to come in or something?"

"Yeah. I'd like to watch it too. Besides, I think watching stuff with more than one person is more fun, don't you?" she said, looking up at him in earnest.

Russ grinned and nodded his head in agreement. "Yeah. Okay, come on in. Let's see if I have some pop or junk food in here so we can fully enjoy ourselves," he said, backing away from the door and allowing Sasami to enter the room.

"I'll just send for a servant to bring us something. Will that be okay?"

"Isn't there anything here in the room? What about that little refrigerator over there?" he asked, walking over to the cooler and opening the door. Cold air spewed from the box, but once the fog cleared, it revealed nothing but a large chunk of ice in the back. Frowning, he closed the door and turned toward the princess. "Well, send for a servant, I guess. The icebox is empty. I still find it odd to be waited on. I'm used to getting everything myself."

Sasami giggled. "Just enjoy yourself and I'll take care of the servant," she said, pressing a button on the wall. A moment later, a woman's voice came over the intercom system.

"Hello. Can I get you anything?" she asked, politely.

"Yes. Can you bring some popcorn, tea, and… just a moment," she said, turning toward Russ. "What do you want?" she hissed quietly.

"Oh… uh… um… do you have anything like soda or pop here?" he asked, finally.

"Yeah. What flavor?"

"Um, lemon-lime or something equivalent."

"Okay." She proceeded to finish the order and then cut the comlink. "She'll be here in a few moments."

Suddenly noticing the silence from the TV, Russ turned toward it and noticed that the screen was blank and the DVD player was stopped. "Uh oh," he muttered, pressing play on his system again. Hearing the disc spin up, he stepped back a moment and watched it as it scanned the disc multiple times, then stopped again.

"What's wrong? Doesn't it work?" Sasami asked, watching him from a few feet away.

"I don't get it," he said, pulling the disc back out of the stereo and examining the underside of it. "Well, there aren't any scratches, so I don't understand what's going on." He set the disc back into the system and pressed play again. A few moments later, the copyright warnings came up on the TV and Russ sighed in relief. "Let me guess," he mumbled, pulling out the second disc and examining it. "Yup, I knew it. These discs are the lousy ones encoded by a different company hired by Bandai." He turned toward Sasami. "These discs are picky about what player you put them in. Some work just fine and some do what this thing does. But it's working now so we shouldn't have any problems."

Grabbing the remote, Russ hit the menu button and the system changed tracks to bring up the menu. A theme began to play, which sounded really catchy to Russ and Sasami, and they looked at each other with grins. Quickly grabbing a couple chairs that were in the corner of the room, he placed them both in the middle of the floor and invited Sasami to sit down. He sat down a moment later.

"Alrighty. Let's see what we have here. Setup menu," he mumbled, fumbling with the remote as the screen changed. "Japanese language. Alright." He frowned a moment. "Funny how you Jurians all speak Japanese," he snickered.

"You know, I never really thought about that. Oh well," she giggled.

"Yeah. Okay, and PLAY!" he said, pressing the enter button with flare and starting the program. Watching the opening credits play, Russ noted the music and the visuals, instantly liking what he saw and heard. Sasami also watched the TV intently, almost not noticing when a knock on the door came and the call of "Room Service!" on the other side of it.

Russ paused the video just as the credits were ending and opened the door, allowing the servant in. He quickly set up a stack table and allowed her to set everything down on top of it, and then she left, leaving them to their animation.

"Now, if there are no more interruptions," he said, glaring at the door, "Let's enjoy this!"

"Yay! The introduction was cool. Let's see how the rest of it goes."

"Yeah," he answered, turning up the volume to the stereo loud enough to hear it comfortably, and he set the remote down on the table, grabbing a handful of popcorn and his drink, sitting back in his chair to enjoy himself.

Several hours later, long after dusk, the palace began to wind down and people began to head off to their rooms for a night of insomnia and restless sleep, due to the excitement of the Startica festival being just around the corner. The Jurians were excited about exchanging gifts, which bared a resemblance to Christmas on Earth. All the trees were decorated in lights and ornaments, with lace and garland draped over the branches. Anybody from Earth would've expected it to BE Christmas.

However, not everybody was fully into the spirit. Back in her room with the lights out, the little red haired scientific genius continued to labor and toil over her phantom computer, setting up analyses and calculating equations that would've put Einstein to shame.

Swiftly entering the final variables with a few keystrokes, she patiently waited for the computer to calculate the answer, preparing to use the result for another set of calculations that needed to be completed. However, the next equation was expected to take the computer till morning to work out, so she prepared herself for slumber, tossing her science academy uniform onto the floor and slipping herself into a nightgown that was provided.

Looking down at the fabric, she chuckled lightly as she tried to remember the last time she had actually slept in a bed, rather than falling asleep in mid-equation as she tirelessly worked in her laboratory back home. She sat down on the edge of the bed, staring out her window at the thousands of tiny, multi-colored lights that lit up the trees. It has been a very long time since she had made her return to Jurai, except for the Kagato incident.

A quiet beeping caused her to lose her train of thought as the computer had calculated the answer to her equation. Tapping a few more keys in sequence, she set the computer to begin its arduous task of determining and extrapolating ecto-plasma chemical sequences. A moment later, she banished the system back to subspace as she stood up and stretched, letting her tense muscles relax themselves after being outdoors all day. Not getting any exercise because of sitting in front of the computer all day was starting to catch up to her. But it was a beautiful day, thanks to the weather control system that was in use.

Finally feeling sleep catch up to her, Washu tossed back the covers to the double bed and slid herself between the sheets, then pulled the comforter up to her neck. She let out a soft sigh, staring at the ceiling, and then she rolled over onto her side, drawing herself into a fetal position.

A single tear streamed down her face as she looked at the second half of the bed, which had a set of pillows next to her own. Stretching her arm out to it, she softly caressed and padded the pillow, as if trying to tentatively feel something that was there long ago, almost as if it were a tangible thing.

Sniffling quietly and brushing the wetness away from her face, she closed her eyes and fell asleep quickly, all alone as she had been for the last twenty thousand years.

"Tenchiiiiii! Come on! I've been waiting all day for this and now you don't want to?" Ryoko complained, pinning Tenchi to the bed. "I even remembered the candy we were supposed to eat tonight!"

Tenchi groaned to himself, reminding himself that he did say that it would wait until nightfall, and it looked like he'd have to live up to it. "I know, I know. I'm just a little tired, that's all."

"Ooohhhh," she cooed, kissing him and drawing circles on Tenchi's chest with her index finger. "Why are you always so tired? Don't you feel well?"

"We've been busy all day. I, unlike you, have to walk everywhere. It takes a lot of energy to do that, especially with the distance we went today," he explained, then returning her kiss. "It's fortunate that I'm in decent shape, or I'd be out like a light right now."

Ryoko giggled, sliding her hand up and down his chest, under his shirt, feeling his washboard stomach. "So you will?"

Tenchi rolled his eyes, but smiled. "Yeah, I guess we can. But I'd like to go to sleep soon. We're going to have the same type of day tomorrow as we did today, but probably more exhausting."

Ryoko crushed him in a joyous hug then teleported to the dresser, where the bag of snack food sat. She retrieved the bag and then teleported back to the bed, hovering a few inches above the covers. Quickly undoing the twist tie, she tossed it onto the floor and opened the bag, the aroma of chocolate and something else rushing out of the bag.

Giggling to herself in anticipation, she fished out a small chunk as Tenchi sat up, trying to get a closer look at the contents through the illumination from the window.

"Open wide," Ryoko requested, holding the chocolate-like snack food under Tenchi's nose. "This will get us in the mood," she whispered.

The prince's eyes widened slightly as he opened his mouth and allowed Ryoko to feed him the snack. Slowly mulling the piece in his mouth, he quietly sucked on it for a few moments, tasting the multitude of flavors coming from the piece. It melted a few moments later and he swallowed it, licking his lips afterwards.

"Mmmm. Tastes like chocolate, but with something extra." He licked his lips once more as Ryoko fished out another piece and held it out in front of him. Tenchi looked at her skeptically for a moment, then opened his mouth once more, taking the candy and eating it.

"Is it good?" she asked, taking a chunk and munching on it.

He nodded his head. "Yeah. It does taste really good. I haven't had chocolate this good before. It's so smooth and flavorful." He stopped and thought a moment. "Hey, what did you mean by this candy getting us in the mood?"

Ryoko grinned slyly as she floated down to the bed next to him. "It also acts as an aphrodisiac," she giggled. "This really turns me on and gives me a lot of energy."

Tenchi facefaulted.

Ryoko giggled as she ate another chunk of the stuff. "Are you feeling it yet?"

Even though he was already feeling a little warmed up, he figured he didn't need any help in that department. However, he wasn't sure if it was the candies making him feel that way or being in close proximity to the most beautiful space pirate he had ever laid eyes on.

He shrugged his shoulders in response. "Beats me," he said, kissing her with sticky lips. "Maybe we should find out?"

Ryoko set the candy down on the nightstand and pushed him down to the bed, preparing for another fun filled evening with Tenchi as she began showering him with kisses and hugging him close.

Several hours later, and long after Sasami had fallen asleep, Russ had finished the first volume of Saber Marionette J. Carefully removing the disc from his stereo and turning off all the gizmos, he returned the disc to its case, and then set it down on top of the TV.

It had been quite an endeavor to keep from laughing out loud, since he didn't want to wake Sasami. She had fallen asleep just after switching discs, so he carefully lifted her out of the chair and lay her down on his bed, and carefully tucked her in. She looked so cute that he didn't have the heart to wake her so she could go to her own room. Ryo-Ohki had entered his quarters a short while before Sasami dozed off, looking for some company and wanting to be near her best friend. But now both of them were peacefully sleeping on Russ's bed, and he smiled, knowing that she tried her best to stay awake, but couldn't do it because of a very active day.

Finding a spare futon in his closet, he laid it out on the floor and got out some spare covers, preparing to go to sleep for the night. Not feeling very tired since he was still on a sugar high from the soda beverage that was served to him, he quickly moved the table and chairs back to the corner where he found them.

Checking to make sure everything for his room was in order, he finally lay down on his bed, preparing for a night of sleepless insomnia, thanks to the excitement factor mixed with sugar.

He lay there for a few moments, and one thing kept nagging him. It was too quiet. Tossing back his covers and heading over to his duffel bag, he opened it and took out a small desk fan. Quietly setting it down on the stack table, he found a nearby outlet and plugged it in, then turned it on. After a few moments, it spun up, generating the white-noise sound that lulled him to sleep at night.

Sighing in satisfaction, he lay back down and closed his eyes, doing his best to doze off so he would be well rested for the next day.


	12. Startica, Part 1

Ep 12 – Startica, Part 1

I finally decided to change this silly header. *snicker* Anyway, everybody knows the copyright information so I'll just forgo that. The story is approaching the end. I predict another 4 chapters, give or take 2, and that'll be it. It's been a lot of fun writing this little saga (which is surprising, since I have a hard time writing a 6 page term paper!) and I hope you've enjoyed reading it too. I MAY do a second series or continuation of the story, or I may not end this at all. It all depends. Send all hate mail / fan mail to .

Notice! New Website is going up for the Tenchi fans! Come check it out at .net and sign the Guestbook, letting me know you were there. The fanfic will also be posted there, as will it be on the TMFFA, AND on .net.

It was black. It was an inky black like you find at a graveyard. Tenchi lay on the ground, blood trickling from a corner of his mouth as he clutched his chest and moaned in intense pain. Ryoko was by his side, looking into his eyes that were filled with a horror that had only been seen once before. Tears were running out of her own eyes as her sword blazed into existence as she lunged at her enemy, swinging wildly and screaming like a rabid banshee.

An instant later, she joined Tenchi on the ground, her eyes rolled into the back of her head, no longer showing any signs of life. Tenchi moaned and rolled onto his side, then stared into the lifeless face of his beloved space pirate.

Aeka stood nearby, her forcefield snapping and crackling, trying to push back an intense force bearing down on her. Azaka and Kamidake were at her side trying to help, but they were blown away by the intense energy.

The forcefield finally gave out around her and she let out a bloodcurdling scream when she was hurled through the Masaki house, crashing through wood and plaster with a sickening crunch. She fell silent and didn't get back up.

Yosho lay on the ground nearby, a gaping hole in his chest as his face relived the last few seconds of his fate in a contorted look of absolute terror. His glasses were a few feet away, shattered.

Washu was nowhere in sight. Nobody knew what happened to her or where she had gone. Did she live or die? She vanished without a trace.

Tenchi somehow returned to his feet and faced his most hated enemy, activated the sword Tenchi, and charged with a scream of pure insanity.

He never had a chance. In a blinding flash of white energy, his body was vaporized in an instant, leaving absolutely no trace of Tenchi, almost as if he never existed. Sword Tenchi fell to the ground, a red smear on the handle from its former owner.

Sasami stood defiant as she faced her mortal enemy. Trying to summon up all her courage and the power of Tsunami, her enemy started laughing. A cold, evil, heartless laugh rivaled only by Kagato. It spoke to her.

"The power of Tsunami won't help you. Now, the House of Jurai will die with you."

Sasami screamed in intense, overwhelming pain as she lost her footing and fell onto her back, her cute face twisted into horrendous torture, tears pouring from her eyes.

"Why?!" she screamed. "What are you doing to us!?"

Her only answer was another laugh, as it closed in on her, concealing her in eternal blackness.

"Sasami!! Sasami, wake up! Wake up!" Russ said with urgency, shaking her from side to side. "Wake up, darn it!"

Sasami's eyes snapped open as she sat bolt upright in his bed, gasping for air and sweating profusely. Her small body shuddered violently as she clamped onto Russ's arm and held it as tightly as she could.

"It's okay now, you're awake." Russ sat down on the bed and pulled the little princess into a protective embrace. "Everything will be okay now. The dream is over."

"Oh my god, Russ! It was horrible!" she cried, starting to sob uncontrollably, her body wracked with violent shudders.

Russ squeezed her more tightly, trying to console her in the only way he knew how. "It's okay," he said again. "It was only a dream."

She sniffled and tried to calm herself down after a few minutes, listening to his deep, reassuring voice. "Thank you for waking me up. I'm sorry that I woke you up though."

Russ's face pulled into a frown. "Don't apologize for something that's not your fault. I felt a new, very strong, different power start going crazy and that startled me out of sleep. I never felt it before. Surprisingly, it was from you. Anyway, I would've felt it anywhere in the palace, and I would've come running." Sasami's eyes widened considerably as she looked into his face. He nodded, and continued. "Even though I've only known you guys for two weeks, I feel like a part of the family already. And being a part of the family, I'd never let anything happen to you or anybody. But anyway, Ryo-Ohki was also trying to wake you up, but I guess she is a little too small to be able to do that."

The cabbit hung her head sadly and let out an apologetic meow. Sasami sniffled and tried to smile, patting the animal on the head.

"It's okay, Ryo-Ohki. I'm awake now. And thank you for waking me up, Russ."

"Don't worry about it. Now, what was this scary dream about? Do you want to talk about it? Do you think it was caused by eating all that junk food before bedtime?" he said with a laugh, lightly tickling her under the arm and eliciting a giggle from the princess.

"I get nightmares once in a while, but this one was really bad and scary. I dreamt that everybody was killed by something. It was really horrible, and you weren't in it. However, the enemy had said something familiar. Oh yeah, he said, 'Now, the House of Jurai will die with you.' But it couldn't have been him. He's dead. We killed him a long time ago."

"Killed who?" Russ asked, scratching Sasami's back and trying to relax her, while scooting a little further onto the bed.

"His name was Kain. He was the most vicious, diabolical being in existence. He was extremely powerful and scary too." She shivered at the image her mind conjured up.

Russ scratched his head. "That name doesn't sound familiar at all to me. What did he do?"

"It's a long story, but he had gone back into the past to kill Tenchi's mother, and we had to go back to try to save her. We did win, but Achika, who is Tenchi's mother, used up nearly all of her power to try to defeat him. It severely shortened her lifespan and she died shortly after Tenchi was born." Sasami hung her head sadly. "Unfortunately, it wasn't enough, and he tried to pull us back into subspace with him even after Achika did him in. We had to bring out Washu's Dimensional Cannon to blast him to bits."

"Dimensional Cannon, eh? Sounds powerful."

"It was intended for destroying small galaxies."

Russ resisted the urge to facefault. "Whoa. That is a lot of power."

"Yes. We fired it into the subspace rift right after we pulled Tenchi's mom out. We don't know what happened after that because the portal closed."

"I see. I'm sure it vaporized him and the area of subspace that he was confined in. Nothing to worry about," he said, giving her a reassuring squeeze. "Don't worry, okay?"

"Okay." Letting out a yawn and stretching a bit, she looked at the clock on top of the nightstand. "It's three in the morning. Oh no. We're going to be so tired when we get up tomorrow morning," she complained, fretting again for having a nightmare on such a festive occasion.

"It's okay. Don't worry about it. Things like this happen from time to time. Shall I send for some warm milk or do you think you'll be okay?"

She looked up into his face, which was lit by the pale moonlight and the thousands of colored lights on the trees. Sighing quietly, she lay back down onto the bed. "I'll be okay. Will you be nearby, just in case?"

Russ smiled. "I'll be right here on the floor, Sasami. I'm not going anywhere. I promise. And Ryo-Ohki will be here too, right?"

The cabbit let out a stern meow and bared her fangs, as if waiting for something to challenge her. Russ chuckled and slid off the bed, and lay back down onto his futon.

"G'night, Sasami."

"Good night, Russ."

Russ drifted back to sleep a short time later, but Sasami remained awake a little while longer, still frightened from the horrid nightmare.

For the second time since the family's arrival, the light of dawn flooded the rooms of the visitors, gracing them with its presence. Again, birds sang their melodious warbling calls, rousing people out of their slumber who weren't awakened by the bright sunlight.

Windows were opened, letting in the fragrant warm air, the smell of it filling people with excited energy. The scent of flowers and various snack foods wafted through the air, letting everybody know that the festival was ready to commence in full force. The shopkeepers were already at their booths, ready to wait on the thousands of people who would be walking by.

The sky was a crystal blue, except for the thousands of tiny little tick marks that represented the many ships parked in orbit. As far as the eye could see, not a cloud existed on this fine day and made visibility fantastic.

Back in outer space, the Galaxy Police were still directing traffic for the late arrivals, doing their best to find them a place where their ship would remain in stationary orbit, but places were running thin, and still more vessels continued to arrive.

Ships that resembled roadsters with flashy paintjobs, dozens of Jurai warships, personal Galaxy Police cruisers and shuttles, and even a small whitish silver cabbit ship were in line, waiting to be shown to a parking place.

Finally running out of spaces for the waiting vessels around the planet, the GP made the decision to park them around the two moons that orbited Jurai. They brought in three huge transports to ferry the arrivals and take them down to the planet if they didn't want to use their personal shuttles or transports. However, at the rate the available shuttle spots were going on Jurai, the transports was soon to become the only way to get down to the surface.

The white spaceship was ordered to land on the planet, and to take the ship with her since parking was nearly gone. Following the designated flight path, the cabbitship passed through Jurai's atmosphere and a short moment later, landed at the appropriate site. After teleporting herself off of her ship, it morphed back into a furry white cabbit with red eyes and a blue collar. It bounded up to his mistress's side and gave her an expectant look, questioning her with a "Shaow?"

Gleaming red eyes smiled back at him as she began walking off into the massive crowd of people, the cape on her shoulders billowing out behind her revealing her energy whip and gun, and her cabbit began to bound energetically after his owner.

Yosho stepped out of his bedroom just a moment before the servants knocked on his door, with the intention of telling him that the empress had summoned everybody to breakfast, and that they were there to tidy his room. Giving the lady a casual nod and a smile, he turned down the hall and began to make his way to the table.

He passed by Russ's room, which had a servant outside who looked quite agitated, as she balled up her fist and pounded on the door. Taking a moment to watch, the servant waited a few more moments before trying the door handle, which was locked. She frowned and raised her hand to pound on the door again, but Yosho grasped her elbow just before she brought her fist to the door.

Looking on him with surprise, she bowed humbly upon recognizing the other Jurian prince. "Excuse me, your highness," she said, turning and preparing to leave.

"Hold on. What seems to be the trouble here?" he asked, startling the maid.

"Oh, uh, well, it seems that Russ hasn't woken up. The empress demands everybody's attendance at breakfast, but I can't seem to get him to open the door."

Yosho couldn't help but laugh. "Don't you have a key to go into his room?"

"We're not supposed to go in there unless he's gone. It's against the rules to barge in on a guest."

"I see. Give me the key and I'll wake him up," he told her with an impish grin.

"Yes, my lord."

Staring after her, he shook his head, not entirely used to being treated as royalty. Thinking back to the aftermath of the Kagato incident, he did remember how he indulged himself a bit, as many servant women were tending him. Nobuyuki really indulged himself, but he did more checking out of the women in comparison as to what they were bringing him.

However, he really did enjoy being pampered, but working for a living also had its own charm, and a much greater degree of satisfaction. Fortunately, this was only a vacation and nothing more, or he could get really used to being spoiled.

His train of thought was interrupted as the maid returned with the key to Russ's room. Taking the key and pushing it into the lock, he turned it slowly and the door unlocked itself.

Opening the door carefully, he peered into the bedroom and stopped in his tracks. The sly, evil grin on his face melted away and was replaced with a look of shock, but then that transformed into a warm smile.

Russ and Sasami were both lying on the floor, right next to each other, with the blanket underneath Russ's arm and just below Sasami's neck. The little princess was snuggled right up against Russ's chest, and his arm was draped over her in a relaxed hug. Ryo-Ohki lay on the pillow right next to Sasami's head. All three of them were still in peaceful slumber, totally unaware of the servant's hammering on the door or Yosho's intrusion.

Whispering something to the maid, she quickly ran off once again and returned a moment later with the object of his desire. Carefully taking aim, he pushed the button on the small box, causing a bright flash from the bulb and a quiet whining from the internal motor of the Polaroid camera. Taking the photo in his hand, he gave the camera back to the maid and she returned it to his room.

They looked so cute together that he didn't want to wake them, but he knew he'd have to, or the Royal Family would have an absolute fit. Silently moving across the floor like a skilled ninja, he knelt down in front of the sleeping trio and began to gently shake all three of them awake. It took a bit of effort, but they eventually started to show signs of life.

Stretching and yawning, all three of them opened their eyes and looked up into Yosho's grinning face, wondering why he was there. A moment later, Russ noticed where Sasami was and he withdrew his arm, a slightly confused look on his visage.

"Good morning, you two. Breakfast is about to be served so you better get going." Yosho returned to his feet as they both sat up and yawned.

"Thanks," Russ answered, letting out another yawn and stretching his arms. "We'll be there in a few moments."

Yosho nodded and then left the room, taking the picture with him.

Sasami giggled and looked up into Russ's face. "Thank you for keeping me company last night. You made me feel a lot better and safer."

Russ put on a sheepish grin and scratched the back of his head. "Sure. How come you got out of bed last night? I had no idea you were even here with me."

"I still felt a little scared, but you fell asleep right away. I hope you didn't mind me sleeping here with you," she said, a little worried.

Russ chuckled. "I don't mind at all. Do you feel better now?"

"Yes. I just want to forget about that dream." Yawning, she stretched, then stood up, but flopped back onto the bed. "Ohhh, I don't want to get up," she complained.

Russ imitated her movements and flopped onto the bed himself. "Me neither. I'm still sleepy. It's too early." He started laughing as he stretched himself out once more and let out a deep groan.

"Well, I can't be too lazy or mom will get mad," she said, sitting up. However, Russ grabbed the back of her clothes and pulled her back down with a playful chuckle.

"Let's be lazy for a few more minutes. I still need to wake up a little more."

Sasami giggled and sighed, and stared up at the ceiling. "Today is going to be fun. I can't wait to play the games and stuff they have here."

"Me too. This is the first time I've been to this planet, so everything is new to me." Russ tilted his head back a bit and looked out the window. Even though everything was upside down, he could already see hundreds of people parading the streets, stopping at various booths and playing games, doing their best to win the ridiculously hard games for one of the various prizes.

"I liked that anime we started watching last night. That was really neat and funny," Sasami said, turning toward Russ and looking on him with her pink eyes.

"Yeah. It's pretty crazy. I watched the second disc even though you had fallen asleep. I had to see what happened next."

Sasami giggled. "You're impatient, aren't you?"

Russ pursed his lips and stuck out his tongue, giving her a raspberry. "Okay, so I am. Big deal. Drives me crazy if I don't know what happens next."

The little princess giggled as she sat up once again. Suddenly, her senses were overcome with an overwhelming ticklish feeling coming from under her arms, as she squealed in surprise, then exploded laughing. Russ was busily working his hands around her sides, inflicting hilarious torment, and laughing along with her.

"Stop it," she screamed though her fit of giggling and laughing, the tears almost ready to start streaming down her face from laughing so hard. "Please! We have… to go… eat… breakfast!" she shrieked, now trying to get away from Russ's hands.

He clasped her in his arms and gave her a gentle squeeze. "Are we awake enough to go eat now? Or do we need a little more torture?" he cackled evilly, but with a huge grin.

"No more," she panted, wiping her eyes. "Come on, let's go. I'm feeling a little hungry."

"Yes, your highness," Russ said, winking at her. "But we should take a shower or a bath before we go to the table. I need a shower from all that exercise yesterday."

"Yeah, me too. I'll go back to my room and take a quick bath and get some fresh clothes on."

Russ grinned as he leaned over and sniffed the air over her. "Whew…" he said, pulling his face into a disgusted wrinkle, then started laughing.

She looked up at him in mock horror, then punched him in the arm and got up, making her way to the door, giggling the whole time. Russ stood up and followed, opening the door just before she opened it herself. She looked at him and grinned.

"After you," he invited. "See you in a little bit."

Taking the invitation with finesse, she skipped out the door and Russ shut it, then quickly turned toward the bathroom, shedding his clothing on the way.

After they both had their shower, they met each other in the hallway, and casually made their way down to the Royal Dining Hall. Wonderful smells and the sound of idle chatter came from the other side of the door as Russ eagerly pushed it open, revealing everybody seated at the table and the food being served. Everybody turned their heads toward the late arrivals, but smiled and greeted them warmly as they took their respective seats. Everyone had a smile from the overwhelming excitement. However, Tom was absent.

As the family dug in to the awaiting breakfast, Aeka looked at her little sister, who at present moment was indulging herself in her meal.

"Where were you last night, Sasami? You never came to bed."

Before she could answer, Yosho cleared his throat and slid something across the table to her. Arching an eyebrow for a moment, she accepted the picture and looked at it. Almost immediately her face melted into a warm smile as she looked at both Russ, and then Sasami.

"Aww, you guys are SO cute!" she giggled. Both Russ and Sasami looked at her with blank expressions, wondering what in the world she was holding.

"Let me see that," Misaki asked, reaching over and allowing Aeka to hand her the photo. Her face pulled into utter surprise, and then her eyes sparkled as her expression went to pure affection. "Oh my lord, they ARE cute. Here, look at this, Funaho," she said, handing over the photo.

The empress carefully accepted the image and looked at it, and had much the same reaction as everybody else who had seen it. It then began making its way around the table to let everybody see the picture. However, they skipped both Russ and Sasami, not wanting them to see what it was just yet. However, when they finished, Russ's impatience got the better of him.

"Okay, what is that thing you're passing around?" he demanded, reaching for the photo that Azaka had, but he pulled it away with a sly grin.

"Should I give it to him, your highness?" he asked.

"Yeah, let him see it now," she laughed, waiting to see what his reaction would be.

Before he knew it, the picture was out of his hand and was now in Russ's. He looked at it for a few moments, and then grinned. "You're right. That is cute, isn't it?" Everybody nodded in agreement. "Sasami fell asleep last night as we were watching the anime Tom had given me. Instead of waking her up, I just let her sleep in my bed and I slept on the floor. However, she had a bad dream last night and I guess she felt scared. No harm done."

Aeka looked a little worried and decided that she'd ask about the dream later, since she knew that when Sasami had horrid nightmares, it usually was a warning that something bad was going to happen. However, the only problem with it all was the fact is she didn't know when it was going to happen. But it would be best to prepare for the worst if her dream became a reality.

However, she couldn't help but smile and have a warm, fuzzy feeling inside at Russ's generosity. He was so kind and considerate, easygoing and appeared to be happy and fulfilled. However, he also had a slight aura of sadness about him too. Sasami looked very contented and happy, which was unusual for her after having one of those nightmares. Whatever Russ had done the night before had worked wonders, and it gave her a wonderfully pleasant feeling. This was a man unlike any other she had ever met. Not even Tenchi had managed to calm her down as much as he had.

With that, breakfast passed without incident, and once they finished, they all met outside on the palace steps, preparing to join the masses for the festival. Maps of the local area were handed out, and everybody split up into smaller groups. Kiyone, Mihoshi, and Washu decided to head off together, Tenchi and Ryoko went off on their own, Aeka, Sasami, Russ, Ryo-Ohki, Misaki, Azaka, and Kamidake formed a rather large group, and Nobuyuki, Katsuhito, and Funaho became the last group. Asuza declined any invitation to join in the festivities and returned to the palace.

Just as they were about to disperse, two extremely large transports and one smaller one came into view and landed at one of the palace landing pads, which happened to be the same one that was occupied by Russ's Tie Defender. Six Tie Advanced starfighters escorted the transports, and they managed to find spaces to land on the same pad.

"Looks like Tom has brought down some of his crew to enjoy the festivities," Russ said, staring at the gigantic Escort Transports and the smaller Assault Transport.

The massive doors of the transports hissed open, revealing nearly a thousand people in each transport, all on various decks. The pilots of the Tie Advanced remained in their fighters, preparing to escort the transports back to the Star Destroyer to get another load of crew to bring down to the surface.

People of all shapes, sizes, and colors disembarked from the massive transport, and dispersed themselves in the crowd, drawing curious stares from many of the native Jurians. With a loud roar, the dual ETRs and the ATR lifted off the pad with the six fighters, and proceeded back into the atmosphere.

"Well, get going, people! The day has just begun! Fireworks will be shown tonight, so make sure to get back here by seven o'clock so we can eat, and then we'll go to our special area to view the show!" Misaki shouted with much enthusiasm.

A collective nod, a few departing words, and the four groups went their separate ways, ready for a day of fun filled activities, and an evening of fireworks and gift giving.

"So Aeka, where should we go first?" Sasami asked, walking beside her sister. "Should we play some of the games or would you like to ride the roller coaster?

Smiling down at her sister, she shrugged her shoulders. "It's up to you, Sasami. What would you like to do?"

"I don't know! There are just so many things to do here. I don't know where to begin!" she giggled in delight.

"Why not start at that booth over there and then make our way down the block until we reach the end?" Misaki suggested, walking beside Russ. "That game looks fun."

Sasami laughed as she ran over to the very tall and wide stand, which had a few individuals throwing baseballs, trying to win a prize. A slender young man greeted the princess with a warm smile and a humble bow. The rest of the group came up behind her and he greeted them accordingly.

"Hello there, Princess Sasami," he greeted in a light, soft voice. "Would you like to play the game and win a prize?"

Smiling widely, she nodded. "How do I play?"

"Well, you take this ball here and try to knock down all the pins. You have to throw it hard though, or they won't fall over. Here," he said, handing her a ball. "Take a free shot at it so you can get the feel of it. You get two throws."

"Thank you." She accepted the ball as her complexion went to full concentration, and a moment later, she hurled the ball at the pins, knocking down four of the six targets. The young man handed her a second ball and she threw it with a grunt, knocking down one of the remaining two pins.

"Very good, Princess! Tell me, is this the first time you've done this before?" he asked with genuine enthusiasm.

Sasami nodded eagerly. "I've never played this game in my life."

"You have fantastic aim and an excellent throwing arm. Would you like to try again? You can win one of these prizes," he said, gesturing to a huge, blue, stuffed bear. The toy was even larger in size than Sasami herself.

"No thanks," she answered, turning toward Aeka. "Your turn, sister."

Again, the young Jurian smiled and greeted her respectfully. "Princess Aeka, how are you today? You get a free chance to win a prize," he announced, holding out a ball.

"It's okay. I don't really want to play, but Sasami can take my turn if she wants," she answered, smiling down at her sister.

"Come on, Aeka! We've got an entire day to mess around. Please play the game. It'll make me very happy," Sasami encouraged.

Sighing in resignation, Aeka stepped forward and accepted the ball from the young man. Taking a deep breath, she tightened her grip on the ball, brought her arm back, and hurled it with all her might at the pins. However, the end result was disappointing.

Sasami giggled. "Well, at least you got one of them, but now you get a second ball. Go Aeka!" she cheered.

Russ was quaking in barely restrained laughter, as he muttered comments under his breath, which were just loud enough for Azaka and Kamidake to hear. They both grinned, resembling teenagers again.

Frowning in concentration, she hurled the ball at the remaining pins, and managed to knock all but one down. Coincidentally, the same pin that Sasami was unable to knock over. A polite round of applause greeted her ears as everybody smiled at her, and congratulated her on getting almost all of the pins. She took a step back and smiled, and then noticed that the three men of the group were grinning from ear to ear.

"Who's up next?" Sasami called, looking at Azaka, Kamidake, her mother, and Russ.

Ryo-Ohki stood beside Sasami, and tugged on her sleeve, giving her an indication that she wanted to be next. She meowed a couple of times and smiled.

"Okay, it's your turn, Ryo-Ohki! Let's see what you can do!"

Giving her a determined meow, she grasped the ball from the boy, and without taking aim, she hurled it at the pins, missing all of them by a mile.

"Concentrate, Ryo-Ohki! Aim at the bottom middle pin, and the rest should fall down!" Sasami indicated, pointing at the intended target.

Again, Russ made a smart comment about where the ball went, and a round of chuckles went between him and the guardians. Aeka watched them out of the corner of her eye, but remained quiet.

The clerk handed the ball over to the cutest little girl he had ever seen, and stepped aside. Ryo-Ohki's forehead beaded with perspiration from concentrating so hard, and when she was satisfied that she could do it, she released the ball and threw it at the intended target. However, she only managed to knock over the very top pin, a result of tossing it too high.

"Aww, better luck next time. Who's next?" the clerk asked.

Misaki stepped forward, and held out her hand. "I'd like a try please."

Russ leaned forward to both guardians. "We're in trouble now," he muttered, and then began snickering again. The guardians both cracked amused grins.

"Yes, ma'am. Here you are," he said, handing over the ball. "Good luck!"

Winding up and hurling the ball with incredible force, she blasted five of the six pins over in one shot, scattering them behind the table. However, the same pin that Sasami and Aeka missed still stood. Accepting the second ball and throwing it, she didn't concentrate enough and she missed the pin by the width of a piece of paper.

"Rats!" she shouted, stomping her foot. "I should've had that too." She then started laughing. "Anyway, who's up next?"

The three men who were standing behind everybody else simply looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. Without warning, Kamidake stumbled forward a step, a look of surprise on his face. He turned around and noticed both Russ and Azaka quietly snickering, trying to keep from laughing out loud.

"Alright, which one of you did that?" he asked, mildly perturbed.

They both looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders, deciding to keep him in the dark. Eyeing both of them suspiciously, he turned around and noticed everybody else was quietly giggling amongst himself or herself. Giving up, he allowed Sasami to hand him a ball and he to approached the booth, where the doomed pins were waiting. Carefully taking aim, he threw the ball directly at the bottom center pin, and all the pins except the two on the ends fell over.

"Aw man! There's no way I can knock both over at once."

"That's because you suck," Russ cackled under his breath, causing Azaka to start laughing out loud. Kamidake stared hard at both of them and took a deep breath, relaxing himself a bit.

"Don't worry about it," Sasami encouraged. "Just get one of the two."

Kamidake smiled as he accepted the ball again, and he threw it at one of the pins. It fell over with a soft thud, but the other pin that everybody else missed remained standing.

Turning around, he pointed his index finger at his counterpart. "I think it was you who pushed me. You're up next, Azaka."

Still grinning, Azaka casually walked up to the booth and accepted the ball, and hurled it at the pins. The ball hit the bottom middle pin from the right side, and tapped the other pin that everybody else missed. The middle one fell over, but again, that same pin remained standing, along with the other one at the other side; the same bedposts that Kamidake had.

Russ raised an eyebrow and didn't make any wisecracks. The pin on the end didn't even wobble.

Looking quite agitated, Azaka accepted the second ball and he took careful aim at the pin everybody else was unable to knock over, however when he released the ball, his wrist twisted slightly and he wound up knocking over the other pin.

"This game is harder than it looks. Oh well. It's your turn now, Russ. Let's see how good your aim is. Hopefully it's as good as your wisecracks."

"Alright, alright. I'm coming," he mumbled, approaching the booth. Sasami clapped her hands in encouragement and Aeka's smile grew slightly.

Accepting the ball, he took careful aim between the bottom middle pin and the pin everybody else missed. Winding up, he tossed the ball directly on target, however, what happened really made everybody's jaw drop in shock. The ball was perfectly aimed, however, the pin everybody else missed didn't fall over, but the middle one was knocked out easily. All the other pins fell over, except for the one.

"What the hell? I hit it and it didn't fall over?" Russ growled. "Give me the other ball."

The clerk's forehead beaded with perspiration, as everybody else's visage went to angry skepticism.

Carefully taking aim again, Russ lobbed the ball directly on target, and the ball bounced off the pin without so much as wobbling it.

"I knew it! You cheating prick!" he yelled, a small green ball of ki appearing in his hand. Before anyone could stop him, he hurled his ki ball at the pin and it totally annihilated the target, the stand, and put a hole through the back of the booth.

Everybody else glared daggers at the clerk, who was now quaking in fear. "Do you have an explanation for this?" Russ asked. "There are several things I cannot stand or tolerate. Cheaters and liars are two of them. You're lucky I'm in a good mood or you'd cease to exist," he snarled, grabbing the clerk by his robes and pulling him directly in front of his face, lifting him nearly a foot off of the ground with one hand. Surprisingly, everybody else just looked on casually and didn't say a word, nor move to stop him.

Unable to speak, the clerk audibly wet himself. Russ noticed the growing wetness on his robes and the odor of urine reaching his nostrils. Feeling a pang of guilt, he set the horrified clerk back down on the ground, and he softened his gaze. "Do not ever cheat anyone. It's not fair to them, and I'm certain you wouldn't want to be cheated either."

A moment later, Russ felt a strange sensation, and he turned toward the group. A massive crowd of people was staring at him and the clerk, and Russ took in a deep breath and sighed. "I'm sorry about that, everyone. Let's go. This day sure isn't starting off nice," he said, looking down at the ground.

Misaki approached and stood in front of him. "It's okay. This happens from time to time. It's not your fault. And I like the way you handled the situation anyway. You scared that man half to death, and I think that had a more profound effect on him than throwing him in jail." She smiled and nodded her head to the side. "But you did knock over that pin, and therefore, you've won a prize! Which prize do you want?"

Russ couldn't help but laugh. "I'll take one of those huge bears in green, please."

A second clerk who was behind the table rushed over to the stockpile, grabbed the prize, and trembling, he handed it over to Russ, who accepted it with a smile. "Thank you kindly."

"Yes… s...s...sir. You have an n...nice day," he stammered out, his forehead drenched in stressed sweat.

Turning away, he held the bear in front of him, with a huge grin on his face. "This thing is huge. What am I going to do with it for the rest of the day?" he fretted, and scratched his head. A moment later, he released the bear and it floated above him, almost as if it were possessed.

Sasami gasped in surprise. "What did you do? Is it doing that?"

Russ smiled. "No. I'm using something called telekinesis to hold it there. It takes a slight amount of concentration and energy to do it, but it doesn't bother me. Makes it easier than holding it the whole time," he explained.

"Cool! Can you lift me like that?"

Without warning, she floated off of the ground with a look of surprise, but she calmed down as she came to rest on Russ's shoulders. "How's this?"

"That's so neat. Well, let's go! There are more games to play and more things to see!"

Everybody else smiled as they obeyed the little princess, and made their way down the street, looking for a new game to play and more prizes to win.

Off on an adjacent street, Kiyone, Mihoshi, and Washu were casually walking down one of the shop-filled streets of Jurai. Hundreds of thousands of articles of clothing, technology, kitchenware, appliances, jewelry, and other popular items of interest were arranged outside the front of the shops, all with sale and clearance tags. The doors to the shops were wide open, intending to invite more customers in the store to browse their selection.

Nearly every store had at least one employee standing on the outside, trying to draw attention to their business. Some were ringing bells, others were handing out flyers, and still others were on megaphones, shouting out their tremendous deals.

In the middle of the street, several huge tents were set up, and still more merchandise was put out from the surrounding stores. The employees were running around from one end to the other, assisting customers whenever they found something they wanted.

The sheer number of people in the street and browsing the stores was staggering. There was never a moment when a person was more than ten feet from another. In the stores and under the tents, it was shoulder to shoulder, as they slowly shuffled their way around the place.

"Wow, look at all these people! I've never seen so many in one place before," Mihoshi sighed in awe. "It's so exciting!"

"Yeah. Well, what do you say we do a little shopping, and after we finish, we can go play a few games on the next block?" Kiyone suggested.

"Sounds good to me. I'd like to see what new high tech gadgets these people have created while I've been away. It sure is a lot different than what I remember from the last Startica festival I attended." Washu stopped at a nearby table and began browsing the selection of electronic equipment. Kiyone and Mihoshi stood behind her, idly watching Washu's growing interest as she picked up a really strange looking object. It looked like a baseball with a large bar through the middle of it, which protruded out both ends. The ball itself was directly in the middle of the bar. Not finding it impressive, she set it back down on the table and backed away, as two more individuals took her place.

"What was that thing, Washu?" Mihoshi asked innocently.

"It was a micro energy generator, but I found it to be terribly inefficient. No need to buy junk like that now, is there?" she said, grinning. The shopkeeper, on the other hand, stared at her, trying not to be offended by her seemingly superior attitude. He kept quiet and turned his attention to another customer who approached him.

"I suppose you're right. Well, do we need anything here?" asked Kiyone, looking down the block, trying to get a better view of the shops and tents.

"Not me."

"I'm getting hungry," Mihoshi complained.

"You're always hungry! Isn't there a day when you don't complain about getting hungry?" Kiyone growled. However, she blushed slightly when her own stomach croaked.

"You were saying?" Washu asked innocently, smiling up at Kiyone.

"I was saying, I'm getting hungry is all," she laughed, embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Mihoshi. Let's find a restaurant nearby so we can chow down. What are you in the mood for?"

"Oh, anything is fine, as long as it tastes like Sasami's cooking!"

"I second that! How about we try that place right over there? It looks like an Earth equivalent of a steakhouse," Washu indicated, pointing at a building between a clothing shop and an appliance store. It had a green canopy over the entrance, and a well-groomed host stood outside, greeting people as they walked in.

"Looks expensive. Can we afford to go in there?"

"Kiyone, come on! I'm sure you couldn't eat anything that didn't taste like Sasami's cooking either. Besides, we're supposed to enjoy ourselves today!" Mihoshi giggled emphatically.

"We won't be able to enjoy ourselves at all if we don't have any money, you know."

"Don't worry about funds, girls. I've got us covered this time," Washu said, pulling out a credit card. The photo ID on the card was Washu, in her adult form.

Grinning evilly, she waved her hand over the card, and the identification changed to little Washu, almost as if it were magic.

"Washu! What are you doing? Where did you get a card like that?" Kiyone started.

"Not to worry. I've had this card for a long time, but I never had a reason to use it. Most of the time I just make what I need, so I have no need to buy anything," she chuckled, looking down at the card.

"But…"

"Shush. Come on, let's just go enjoy ourselves," Mihoshi interjected. "Besides, I'm STARVING!"

Hanging her head in defeat, Kiyone silently trudged behind the other two women.

"Ahhh, that was a nice meal, don't you think?"

"Even though it wasn't as good as Sasami's cooking, I've had a taste for fast food for quite a while. I'm surprised you like it so much Ryoko."

Both Tenchi and Ryoko were sitting outside a café, which had tables, chairs, and umbrellas set outside, so the customers could enjoy the weather and eat outdoors.

After shrugging her shoulders, she wiped her mouth off with a napkin. "What's the big deal? It's not like it's going to make me fat."  
"I didn't mean it like that, Ryoko," Tenchi groaned, rolling his eyes.

"Oh? Then how did you mean it?" she said, narrowing her own eyes slightly.

"I'm just surprised, is all. Nothing more to it than that," he said quickly, hoping that she'd drop the subject.

"Yeah right," she answered, lightly punching him in the arm. "You think I'm going to get all fat and lazy now, don't you?"

"What?! Ryoko, what are you talking about?"

"It's true. Just admit it," she cried, looking away. "You're probably thinking, 'Oh, she's going to get fat from eating all that fast food and then she won't be pretty anymore.' That's what you're thinking, isn't it?"

Groaning, he put his hand to his head and tried to think of something that would save him. "Ryoko, you'll always be beautiful to me, no matter how you look," he said, gently turning her to face him. "I mean it. It's you and me, and that's how it's always going to be." He gave her a gentle kiss on her cheek, and pulled her a little closer.

Letting out a contented little sigh, she turned toward him and smiled. "Do you really mean it, Tenchi?"

"Yes. Have I ever lied to you?"

"Well, no. At least, not that I can recall."

"What do you mean, 'not that I can recall'? I've never lied to you, and I'll never start either. I'm a lot like Russ when it comes to lying. I despise it, and there is no reason for it." He gently squeezed her shoulder. "But enough of this. We're supposed to be enjoying each other, so can't we leave all our troubles behind us, just for today?"

"Yeah, you're right, Tenchi. I'm sorry." Wrapping her arms around him and embracing him tightly, she closed her eyes, and let out a blissful little sigh. Feeling Tenchi's arms wrap around her as well, she felt so warm, safe, and contented.

However, her sense of awareness caused several hairs to stand up on the back of her neck. Also, a shadow had moved between her and the sun. Opening her eyes quickly, she instantly focused on an individual standing not two feet away. Gleaming red eyes stared down at her from under a black cloak, and an evil smile also presented itself. Two black facial marks could be seen clear as day on the left side of her face, and she instantly recognized who it was.

"NAGI!!!!"

Tenchi was thrown back slightly as Ryoko jumped out of his embrace and took up a defensive stance, her forehead instantly drenched in perspiration. Her chair was thrown back several feet, and had almost nailed a young couple that was sitting nearby.

"Hi, Ryoko. Long time, no see."

Tenchi whirled around in his seat and faced Ryoko's most feared enemy. "What are you doing here!? Leave Ryoko alone!"

"My, my, so protective over our space pirate, aren't we?" she cackled gleefully. "I had no idea you guys were here, but I guess my luck decided to bless me today, didn't it?"

Tenchi scrambled up from his seat and stood in front of Ryoko, his eyes narrowing to catlike slits. He reached under his robes, tightened his fingers around the master key, and slowly withdrew it, bringing it into plain view. "Leave us alone. We have done nothing to you, and you even helped us before. Ryoko has no bounties on her head, so you have no reason to continue torturing her like this."

"Tenchi, please get out of the way! You don't have any idea what you're dealing with!" Ryoko said, close to hysterics. "Please, just get away from her!"

Nagi's gaze focused on the trembling space pirate behind Tenchi, and she smiled. "My qualms are with you, not this pathetic boy."

Tenchi stiffened up slightly. "Why are you still doing this? I don't understand!"

"Ryoko is the only one to have ever eluded me. She's a stain on my record. I don't like dirty records, and stains must be cleaned," Nagi answered simply.

Gripping the sword more tightly, he took in a breath through clenched teeth. "All you want is to simply kill Ryoko, because she got away from you?"

"That's right. I have my own personal score to settle with her."

"Tenchi!! Please! Stop it! Get away from her! You remember what she did last time!" Ryoko nearly screamed, frozen with fear. She made no move to get anywhere near Tenchi, even though her mind screamed at her to.

"I don't care about your own personal vendettas. Go find someone else's head to cash in, or whatever it is you do. Ryoko and I have done nothing to you, so leave us in peace!" Tenchi growled, his voice icy.

"What I don't understand is why you're getting involved, boy. You better stand aside before you become an unfortunate casualty," Nagi challenged, moving her cape away from her side and withdrawing her energy whip. "Prepare yourself, Ryoko."

Without a second thought, Ryoko phased in front of Tenchi, her orange ki sword blazing with radiant energy. She quickly shoved Tenchi away from her, but as soon as she did, she felt a hot sting on her arm that held the sword. With a scream of surprised pain, the sword vanished and she cradled her fresh wound.

Nagi's purple whip hummed quietly, as she stood some ten feet away now. "I see your reflexes are still quite adequate. This shall be an interesting challenge."

"You leave Tenchi out of this, or I'll be sure and kill you this time," Ryoko snarled as she reactivated her sword.

"I'm ready when you are, Ryoko."

Before Ryoko had an opportunity to answer, Nagi attacked.

"Not as good as Sasami's cooking, but still good," Russ said, patting the little princess next to him.

Misaki laughed. "Don't tell me she does all the cooking at your place. You're like a garbage disposal or a bottomless pit. I've never seen anyone eat as much as you do. I'd have to feel sorry for her."

Russ grinned slightly. "She does a great job, and she always makes extra. When I'm done eating one of her meals, I'm full."

"That's hard to believe," Azaka whispered to Kamidake, who tried to keep from laughing out loud.

"And you three are like peas in a pod," Misaki said, pointing at the two guardians and then at Russ. "Just what do you talk about that you guys find so funny anyway?"

"It's a talent," Russ answered with a cocky grin. "But anyway, I love Sasami's cooking. Most of the time I'm pretty picky, but she always makes everything so tasty and good that I can't resist eating everything."

"Garbage disposals aren't picky either and they eat everything," Kamidake whispered to Azaka, who started chuckling. Russ shot both of them a look of death, which caused both of them to begin grinning widely. Aeka giggled quietly nearby.

"Bah. Everybody is picking on me," Russ pouted.

"Spoiled sport. Can give it but you can't take it, can you?" Azaka taunted.

"I can kick your butt and take everything you dish out too," Russ answered, balling up his fist and grinning evilly. "Want to…" he stopped in mid sentence, his expression becoming one of surprise as he whipped his head to look outside a nearby window, his eyes focusing on a single point.

"What's wrong Russ?" Misaki said, suddenly concerned.

Without any words, Russ immediately stood up from the table, used telekinesis to lift about six different prizes of his, and made his way to the exit. Wondering what the heck was going on, everybody also got up and followed. He stopped outside the door on the sidewalk, and continued to stare at the same point.

"What's wrong? What are you looking at?" Aeka said, pulling on his sleeve.

Russ began quickly walking toward this unknown source, and he quickly picked up to a jog, and then a run. Everybody looked on in confusion, and then took off after him, doing their best to keep up with his brisk pace.

"Russ! Wait up!" Sasami yelled after him, panting and doing her best to keep up with the group. She sidestepped a pedestrian and continued running, nearly tripping on a crack in the cement.

Azaka, seeing the little princesses' plight, scooped her up and carried her piggyback style. Increasing his own speed, he quickly caught up with the rest of the group as they struggled to keep sight of Russ.

Ryo-Ohki changed back into a cabbit, and raced alongside everybody. Trying to figure out what could possibly be going on, she unconsciously accessed her telepathic link with Ryoko, and that instantly told her all that she needed to know. Meowing like crazy, she ran even faster, doing her best to catch up to Russ.

Running only a few more paces, Russ stopped in the middle of the street, watching a fight between two individuals. A few seconds later, the rest of the group caught up to him.

"What the hell is going on here?" Misaki yelled through her panting. "Who are those people and why are they fighting?"

Noticing Tenchi on the side, terrified recognition smashed through Aeka's head. "Oh my god, that's got to be Nagi and Ryoko! We have to stop them!"

"Nagi? Who the hell is Nagi?" Russ growled, watching the battle unfold.

An orange, stray energy blast zipped toward the group, causing the girls to scream in surprise, but Russ smacked it into the air. A storefront exploded from a white energy discharge that narrowly missed Ryoko, and the shockwave from the blast nearly knocked everybody over.

"We have to stop them or they'll destroy most of these shops!" Misaki shouted.

A moment later, Nagi's energy whip caught Ryoko's ankle as she tried to dodge another blast from her energy rifle, and she was flung to the ground. Moaning in pain, she sat up and looked into the hateful eyes of the most feared bounty hunter in the galaxy.

"Looks like I win this round, Ryoko. Too bad you won't be around to go once more." She slowly brought her rifle up, aiming it between Ryoko's eyes. "I win."

"NOOOOOOOOOO!!" Tenchi screamed, sprinting forward and leaping between the two. Noticing him out of the corner of her eye, she cracked a very slight grin, and pulled the trigger. Sizzling, white-hot energy fired from the end of her gun, its accuracy deadly, and its single target becoming two as Tenchi's body placed itself between Nagi and Ryoko.

"TENCHI!!!" Ryoko screamed, horror written over every pore of her face, her mind racing. But it was too late. A small explosion occurred in front of her and encased the two in a cloud of smoke.

Nagi smiled evilly, the adrenaline rush of battle and victory coursing through her every vein. It was finally over. Her most elusive quarry, Ryoko the Space Pirate, was finally lying dead at her feet, after so many years of failed attempts. Too bad it wasn't worth anything valuable. Most people find the taste of vengeance bittersweet, but she strangely found it to her liking. She deactivated her energy whip a moment later.

Watching the cloud of smoke slowly start dispersing, she noticed something odd about it. For some reason, a silhouette of someone was standing in the middle of the cloud. Her smile slowly melted away as more of the smoke faded into the air, and revealed a man standing in front of both Ryoko and Tenchi, with his arm outstretched, and a look of angry determination on his visage.

Ryoko slowly re-opened her eyes and focused on her surroundings, and noticed Tenchi slowly getting up from his position on the ground.

"Are you okay, Ryoko?" he asked, his voice shaking.

"Yes, but what…" she started to say, then stopped. A spiky haired individual was standing in front of her, directly between herself and Nagi, dressed in a green karate gi. His arm was outstretched, but it slowly fell to his side as he slowly stood up straight. "Russ?"

Ignoring her surprise, he stood fast, not moving a muscle and glaring at Nagi, who hid her utter astonishment from all the onlookers.

"Who are you and what do you want with my friends?" he asked coldly.

The tip of her rifle was still smoking slightly, as she very slowly lowered it. "Who are you?"

"I'm a friend of theirs, and you're in trouble for messing with them."

"How did he do that? Russ was standing right here just a moment ago! How did he get over there so fast?" Misaki said in astonishment. Both guardians had the same exact expression on their faces too.

"I told you mom, he's one of a kind," Aeka answered. "Just watch what he does. Ryoko and Tenchi are both safe now."

Nagi cracked a very slight grin, as she looked her new opponent up and down. Amazingly, he was very good looking and had an extraordinary build. However, she couldn't figure out how he appeared where he did, when he did. Nobody could possibly be fast enough to get in front of a laser beam, so she figured he must've been hiding nearby or something. It was just too impossible to believe that this individual is faster than a laser beam.

"This isn't your fight. Just stand aside and let me finish what I've started," she replied, hoisting her rifle up and pointing it at Russ, but aiming for Ryoko.

"I'm afraid it is now my fight. Back off, or you're going to get hurt. Badly," Russ growled.

"I doubt that." Casually, without even thinking about it, she pulled the trigger once more on her rifle, and the white laser beam shot toward Russ. However, to her absolute disbelief, the laser seemed to bounce off of something and sail into the sky, where it dissipated.

Russ's hand was smoking slightly and was once again outstretched in front of him, but didn't have a mark on it. "Your toys are amusing. Do you want to try again?" he challenged.

Both Ryoko and Tenchi watched him in awe, as they very slowly backed away from him.

Swallowing a growing lump in her throat, Nagi flipped a tiny switch on her rifle, enabling automatic mode. Pressing the trigger and holding it down, her rifle began spewing forth dozens of lasers. However, the accuracy of the rifle was lowered slightly, and the beams sprayed a radius of about a foot in diameter at twenty feet.

But what was happening was unreal. Russ's hand appeared in front of every laser beam, blocking their attempts to hit Ryoko and Tenchi and smacking all the lasers into the air. Releasing the trigger about five seconds later, she no longer hid the horror from her face, the sweat running down the back of her neck in miniature rivers.

"Now do you see?" Russ said, his voice stone cold.

Feeling panic, Nagi once again squeezed and held the trigger to her rifle, firing off the white energy like a madman. But once again, all the lasers found their mark in Russ's hand, all of which were sent into the atmosphere, and it didn't harm him in the least. A moment later, a slight beeping from her weapon could be heard as it ceased firing.

"Oh shit," she whispered to herself. "Out of energy."

Russ lowered his hand and began slowly walking over to the bounty hunter, causing her eyes to widen, and her to step back a pace for every step Russ made toward her.

Reaching under her cape, she pulled out a smaller blaster she kept hidden there and fired it at Russ's head. An elegant weapon, very small, but extremely powerful, shot off a small but potent purple energy ball. It was her own personal desperation weapon, and it had never failed her. However, again, just as with the rifle, it failed to do anything to Russ, who put his hand in front of his face and swatted it into the sky, where it fizzled out a moment later.

"What the hell are you?" she screamed, activating her whip and casting it at Russ's neck. Again, just as with the two guns, the whip found its mark around Russ's wrist. Seizing an opportunity, she turned the energy of the whip to maximum, intending to sever off his hand.

Radiant purple energy crackled around the energy beam and around Russ's wrist, but he just cracked a small, but chilling grin.

"Are you just about finished?" he asked, allowing his grin to melt away and be replaced by his poker face as he tightened his muscles, causing the whip to arc and fizzle out.

Immediately deactivating her energy whip, she backed up a few paces, and turned to run. Never before had she encountered someone who could do what he was doing. Sprinting forward about two steps and then slamming into what felt like a brick wall, she nearly fell over, but she managed to regain her balance. Looking at what she ran into in bewilderment, she became even more frightened when she saw that the wall she ran into was actually Russ.

"How…" she stuttered, as she leapt back about a dozen feet, her energy whip at the ready.

"You and I are going to have a little talk," Russ said, slowly approaching her again.

"Get away from me, you freak!" she screamed, turning to run in the opposite direction. However, once again, she slammed into another very hard obstacle, and this time she did lose her balance, and she fell on her backside. Focusing on what she ran into, she nearly screamed in surprise.

Russ stood not two feet away, his black eyes staring down into her eyes like orbs of death. Before she could react, he brought his hand down, placed it around her throat and lifted her to her feet effortlessly, but he didn't squeeze. She wrapped her hands around Russ's arm, trying desperately to free herself, but it was like gripping a piece of steel.

"I'm going to be taking her to another part of the planet. I'll be back in a little while," Russ called over to Ryoko and Tenchi, who were now being surrounded by Aeka, Sasami, Ryo-Ohki, Kamidake, Azaka, and Misaki. The crowd of onlookers was huge, and all of them looked absolutely astonished. "Oh! Could you guys take care of all those prizes for me? Thanks," he added, pointing over to the mass of stuffed animals.

"Don't kill her!" Tenchi shouted, but it was too late. Russ had placed two fingers to his forehead and vanished from sight with Nagi, just as Ken-Ohki bounded into view.

"I wouldn't worry too much. I don't think Russ would kill her. He's probably going to scare the life out of her though," Misaki assured Tenchi. "But how did he disappear like that?"

Ken-Ohki immediately recognized Ryo-Ohki, and bounded over to her. Everybody else stared at the white cabbit, unsure of what his reaction was going to be.

The two cabbits greeted each other apparently, and then began talking to each other. About a minute later, Ken-Ohki's eyes widened, and he backed up a few paces. His fur bristled as his eyes locked on Ryoko's, and he hissed at her menacingly, thinking she was to blame. Ryo-Ohki continued to talk to him, and he calmed down a moment later, but continued to watch the group in absolute distrust. After another barrage of conversation, he looked at the group worriedly and sat down, hanging his head and repeating his discontentment.

"Don't worry, Ken-Ohki. Russ is just going to talk to her, and hopefully once he's finished, the fight between Ryoko and your mistress will finally be finished. I'm sure you're looking forward to that," Sasami said, smiling at him.

Still not trusting them, but having no grounds to disprove her, he looked at her with sad eyes and, in his own way, asked her if she'd be all right. Sasami smiled and nodded her head, and it seemed to relax him a little.

"He'll probably be back in about a half hour, depending on how fast he can convince her to drop this ridiculous war between you two," Aeka said, glaring down at Ryoko.

"Hey! I didn't do anything!" Ryoko yelled defensively. "She just came up on us and attacked the two of us."

"I'm sure she did. Trouble follows you wherever you go," Aeka snapped.

"It's true, Aeka. Stop this fighting right now," Tenchi demanded, finally getting to his feet. He glared hard at Aeka, who immediately quieted down and took on an expression of being ashamed.

"I hope Russ will be okay," Sasami said, looking at where Russ was a few moments earlier.

Misaki smiled. "I'd be more worried about Nagi. Russ can take care of himself."

"Yeah. I guess you're right."

"Well," Misaki began. "Lets go get you two cleaned up. Both of you are a mess, and need fresh clothes. The rest of you can continue doing what you were doing. I'll be right back with these two." She smiled happily, as if nothing had happened. "And we'll all take Russ's prizes back to his room too."

"It's okay. Ryoko and I can find our own way back to the palace," Tenchi said, brushing gravel off of his hands. "No need to trouble yourself on our account."

"Oh, it's not a problem. Come on, let's go," the empress said, taking both of them by the arm and leading them away, as they both turned red when they looked at Misaki, and then each other.

"Those two are hopeless," Sasami giggled.

Calm, peacefulness, and serenity: three things that most people strive to have in their life, but few actually achieve. Some find it in blowing away sprites in a video game, others find it in a meal, and still others find it in a location, whether it is in a fantasy dreamland, or a real place.

One place that Russ always found greatly appealing was a beautiful landscape. Up on a mountainside, near a stream, surrounded by a giant forest, but pushed back far enough to give a grand view of the land below, is something that he always found peace and calamity in. Sitting under a tree, with the air temperature a pleasant seventy-four degrees, having a light breeze blowing, was enough to lull him to sleep or help him forget about his troubles. He hoped that this applied for others as well.

Appearing in this exact setting with Nagi, he released her neck from his iron grip and allowed her to stumble several feet away, watching her trip and fall over a root. No longer glaring at her or showing any emotion, he just stood there, watching her, thinking she resembled a frightened puppy who was taken from its master.

Nagi, on the other hand, stared at Russ as if he were death incarnate, just toying with its prey before he took her life and silenced her forever. She had been in tight situations before, but nothing quite as radical as this. It was the simplicity in which he defeated her, not to mention how fast he did it too. This freakish monster was impossible. How in the universe could someone spawn such an individual that had such awesome strength and astounding speed? It went against every law of physics that she had known about, which unfortunately, were few and far between.

Russ continued to watch her, his curiosity piquing as to what could be running through her mind. He knew that she knew she was in trouble and that she had lost, and that she was at his mercy. He could almost smell the terror from her, but his ability to sense emotions in others was lit up like a Startica Festival tree, and it told him exactly what she felt. Her fear was unmistakable, and almost unsettling. Knowing others that he had battled against had fear, but none as deep and rooted as this was.

Debating with himself, he figured the best way to proceed with this talk was to simply not say anything, and let her begin. Slowly walking over to a tree, his eyes never leaving hers, he sat down under it and leaned his back against the trunk and relaxed, letting a very small smile creep onto his lips.

Nagi's fear almost at the breaking point, she calmed down slightly when he moved away from her, however, never taking his eyes from hers. She watched him sit down under a beautiful Jurian tree, which resembled a cherry blossom on Earth, with its rose colored flowers on the branches and its lush, green leaves. However, the trunk was white, like a birch tree.

Curiosity was starting to get the better of her as she watched him relax and rest his back against the trunk of the tree, as he continued to watch her, but now he was smiling. She knew running was pointless, as he could easily get in front of her again as he did before. Attacking him was useless, as she had already exhausted her supply of weapons. The rifle should be recharging, she knew, but wasn't enough to make a getaway attempt.

A light breeze ruffled her hair and her cape, and for the first time she began to take in her surroundings. The forest that was nearby, the sound of the wind through the leaves, the babbling of the small stream that was rushing over and around the boulders that littered the riverbed, and the grand view of the land below instilled a feeling of peace, albeit very minute. She could feel the breeze making its way around her cape and around her aching body, almost as if it were telling her to relax and that there was nothing to fear. Slowly, very slowly, she allowed it to relax her, but she never took her eyes off of Russ.

"What is he waiting for? Why is he just sitting there?" she muttered to herself. It didn't make any sense. A few minutes ago it looked like he was going to kill her, but now, here he was, just as happy and contented as could be under his tree. Watching him intently, she saw him take in a huge breath and let it out slowly, relaxing himself further.

Finally, she couldn't stand it anymore. "What do you want with me!? Are you going to kill me or not?!" she yelled, scrambling up from her fallen position, her body leaving an imprint in the short grasses.

Her only response was a widening grin from Russ.

"Well?!" she yelled, balling up her fists and preparing for a fight, the fear in her subsiding a little more, but being replaced by a need to fight or run away.

Russ slowly closed his eyes and reopened them, his grin not faltering in the least, and he made no movements.

Lowering her fists, she gave up trying to figure him out. It made no sense. However, for some reason, she felt compelled to stay and not walk away. There was just something about him that made her calm down a little further, and allowed herself to think more clearly. If he wanted to kill her, he could've done it at any time, but he didn't.

She folded her arms across her chest and continued to stare hard at Russ, who continued to grin at her, still in his same, relaxed position. Surveying the immediate area around him, she spotted a second tree that was about eight or ten feet away from him, of the same species. She noted his position, which was turned only slightly away from that tree, but directly toward her. Almost at that moment, she realized what he was doing.

"Alright! You win," she growled, very slowly making her way over to the second tree, very tense and ready to fight if he attacked her. Russ's grin turned into a warm smile as he folded his hands across his lap, and watched her.

Nearly a minute later, with her forehead beaded in stressed perspiration, she reached the tree across from Russ and slowly sat down, her red eyes burning with hate and fear, but a slight hint of serenity also presented itself.

Five minutes passed by in silence, as they continued to watch each other, some unspoken message being sent between the two. Finally, Nagi broke the silence.

"You could've easily killed me back there. Why didn't you?" she asked, her eyes narrowing slightly.

"I'm not quite that heartless. Just about everybody deserves a second chance," Russ responded.

"So you can talk," she snapped, as she watched Russ raise his hands as if he was being submissive. "Why did you bring me here?"

"I thought that much was obvious. We're here alone, in total privacy, where the only thing around us is nature. It can talk, but can't understand. I want you to tell me why you attacked my friends. I don't take kindly to strangers doing that. But first, introduce yourself to me."

Taken aback by his soft, but deep voice, a few more droplets of sweat ran off of her face and fell onto her lap. Trying to find an excuse not to answer, she failed to come up with one. He seemed completely genuine, and had no intention of causing any more trouble.

"My name is Nagi. I'm a bounty hunter," she replied, shrugging her shoulders.

Russ became thoughtful for a few moments. "Nagi… I know I've heard that name before. I think Ryoko mentioned you a couple of times, but she never explained anything about you. I just know you simply by a name, so you have a chance at a different first impression with me. I'll ignore the first one you gave me back in the city, if you can show me you're not like that."

Letting a tiny gasp escape her lips and allowing her eyes to widen slightly, she immediately banished her surprise behind a scowl. "What's it to you?"

"You attacked my friends. Why?" he said, getting tired of beating around the bush, but not leading on to that fact.

"As I told you, I'm a bounty hunter."

"I know that. Does Ryoko have a bounty on her head?"

Again, caught by his gentleness and bluntness, she shook her head. "No. Not anymore."

"Then why did you attack her today, along with Tenchi?"

"She and I have a long history together. Let's just say that Ryoko was a cause of great chaos and destruction, and she was one of the most wanted space pirates in the universe. The price on her head is what I wanted. However, she was the only prey to ever escape me. But I've always caught up to her again and again. Today would've been the last time too if you didn't get in the way," she growled.

"If I didn't get in the way, not one, but two of my friends would've been killed, and from what you tell me, without a reason. It's murder in cold blood," Russ growled, allowing annoyance and a little anger to creep into his voice. "Why did you shoot at Tenchi?"

"An unfortunate casualty."

"In other words, you're a ruthless bounty hunter who stops at nothing to get her quarry?"

Again, caught off guard by his uncanny ability to sum up a situation in an instant and be so blunt about doing it, she just stared at him, and didn't make a sound.

Russ shook his head. "This is very unfortunate. What has Ryoko done to you to make you so… bent on killing her? Has she done something to you in the past?"

"No. She has simply gotten away from me. She is the only one who has been able to do that, repeatedly. It has almost become a contest of cat and mouse."

"An interesting way of putting it," Russ answered, scratching his head. "And what happens when this game ends?"

"Then it ends. I go on my marry way and forget that I ever met her," she responded coldly.

"Why not end it now, and walk away?"

Nagi stared at him with her mouth hanging open, as if she had never considered that possibility before. "I can't."

"Why? Because of some personal vendetta?"

"I wouldn't put it so crudely, but yes."

"Then how would you put it?" Russ asked, placing his hands behind his head and crossing his legs.

"I already explained it to Tenchi. She's a stain on my record. The one and only blemish that keeps me from being the most feared bounty hunter in the known universe…"

"And once you kill her, you'll attain that status?" Russ finished for her. "Sickening."

"And who are you to judge me?" she spat.

"Who are you to kill an innocent?" Russ countered.

She silenced herself and realized what he was starting to get at. Shaking that feeling, she reasserted herself. "You can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs," she growled.

"How cliché," came Russ's response. "Explain it in more detail."

"Tenchi would've been an unfortunate casualty, but that's what happens when you hunt a big mouse like Ryoko."

Russ looked out over the mountainside at the land below, the greenery of it all. The planet looked like it was untouched by industry. Looking back at her, he shook his head. "Look at this place, Nagi. How do you feel?"

Her eyes went wide with utter surprise, and she held her breath for a few moments, and then released it slowly. She looked out where Russ had a moment ago, and took in the peacefulness of it. It was such a contrast to sitting onboard Ken-Ohki for months, or sitting in dirty slum houses or bars waiting for quarry. Becoming almost used to hellish conditions, she barely recognized her surroundings anymore, since they did nothing to help her moods.

However, this place was different. It was quiet, unlike the spaceports and bars. It was bright, unlike the darkness of space onboard Ken-Ohki. There were hundreds of thousands of colors, unlike the blackness of space. And it was warm, unlike the coldness of space.

"Have you ever been to a place like this before and stayed to enjoy it, Nagi?"

Startled out of her broadening daydream, she looked at him with angry eyes, but Russ could see the sadness behind it. She turned her face away and said nothing.

"How long has it been since you've been to a place like this, where you could forget all your troubles?"

Nagi shook her head. "Where are you going with this?"

"I want to know why you have such a hateful demeanor to you. You're so cold and almost heartless, but I can see a little humanity left in you. I want to see that side of you, to put it simply."

"I'm just as human as you are," she snapped. "Why don't you tell me a little bit about you now?"

Raising an eyebrow slightly, then taking a deep breath, he let it out in a huge sigh. "My name is Russ, as you have no doubt heard. I'm from a race of people known as Saiyans, or Saiya-jin. I'm a warrior. Nothing more."

"'Nothing more' he says. There's got to be more to it than that. How did you fall in with Ryoko and her family?" she asked, her eyes widening when she realized what she said. Ryoko's family…

"I'm there to protect them and the Earth, against a foe that is almost exactly like me," Russ answered, watching her.

"What?" She looked at him in disbelief. "Another one of you is running around?"

"Kind of. Except his ambitions is a stark contrast to my own. But yes, he's just as strong and as powerful as I am."

"That's not possible," she said, glaring at him. "I can't believe it. I won't believe it."

"That's entirely up to you, but to be blunt, what I was doing with you was absolutely nothing in comparison to what I'm capable of. If you think Azaka and Kamidake are ones not to be trifled with, I kicked their butts along with Misaki's yesterday in the sparring room. Three on one, with me under intense gravity." Russ smiled, remembering the sparring match from the previous day.

Nagi shook her head as she stared at him. "How?"

"Do you have something that can detect a ki level?"

Nodding, Nagi produced a small device that vaguely resembled a scouter, and placed the unit over her head, allowing the small blue lens to cover her right eye.

Sitting quietly under the tree, Russ watched her fiddle with the device, and set it up to fit her head. Glancing at him through the small window, she slowly raised her hand and tapped the button to turn the machine on. He watched Nagi's expression as her scouter locked onto his body and began to calculate a level.

The scouter short-circuited and exploded, causing her to flinch in utter horror. Russ immediately got up from his sitting position, crossed the distance between them in less than an instant and quickly knelt down near her, looking at her head and her face to make sure she was uninjured.

"Are you okay?"

Nagi just stared at him in terror, her eyes wide and her mouth agape.

"Talk about your cheap construction," Russ said, smiling. "I wasn't even powered up. Listen, I'm not here to hurt or harm you right now. Just relax and let's talk, okay?"

Swallowing a huge lump in her throat, she almost couldn't think straight, but somehow, she managed a hoarse, "Okay."

Russ grinned and sat down next to her, Indian style, and placed his hands in his lap, making sure to keep a warm smile on his face. "Where shall we begin?"

For the next three hours, both Russ and Nagi talked with each other, sharing thoughts and feelings between each other, but neither going very deep, until Nagi began talking on her own. The more she talked, the more she revealed, and Russ listened to it all, showing genuine interest. Finally, even though she didn't know why, she found herself revealing more and more about her past, and as a result, found it easier and easier to talk to him. She touched on topics of her early childhood, why she became a bounty hunter, her vendetta with Ryoko, murders and kills that she had done that affected her in ways that only she could describe, her parents and what was left of her family, and many other dark secrets that she swore she'd keep locked away forever, but found that they burst forth, like an uncontrolled avalanche that couldn't be stopped. Several times she found herself babbling like a small child, tears on the edges of her eyes, but never falling. However, she totally failed to figure out why she told this stranger, who just hours earlier was going to kill her, all that she did.

Russ sat and listened to it all. He never had to add anything to the conversation, but just listen, and allowed her to pour her heart out uninterrupted. He listened to stories that he could relate to, and others that he only fantasized about. He could see why her heart was locked away, and why she had the front that she did, but he never challenged it. They continued to converse for another hour or two, or so they thought. They both lost track of time.

Finally, she looked at him with sad eyes and shook her head. "I'm sorry."

Russ shook his head. "Don't be."

"You aren't… going to tell anyone about any of this, are you?" she asked, resembling a child who just told a secret that she wasn't supposed to.

"The only people who will ever know about this is you, me, and these trees," Russ said, gesturing to the landscape once more.

Hanging her head, she sniffled once more. "Thank you."

Russ smiled. "It's okay. Are you still going to try to kill Ryoko? I have to know."

Nagi looked at him, and he stared back at her with sad eyes, and her heart almost broke in two. Summoning up all her courage, her feelings, and her pride, she answered him. "No."

"Thank you," he whispered.

Looking up at him and his warm smile, she felt like a new person. "It's okay."

"I can understand why you'd still be a bounty hunter. I'm just glad you're going to stop hunting innocents now and stop holding a grudge," Russ said, slowly getting to his feet. The grass where he was sitting was completely flat.

Nagi let out a small laugh, as she watched him return to his feet. And when Russ offered her his hand to help her up, she accepted it graciously. "I take it we're going back there now?"

"Yeah, unless you'd like to stay a little longer."

"It's okay. I think I've said enough for one day."

Russ grinned. "Hold on tight to my hand."

Nagi smiled as she watched him place two fingers to his forehead, and watched the landscape fade from view.

"Oh Mother, you haven't changed a bit," Yosho complained, dressed in the fourteenth set of robes Funaho picked out for him. "I've tried on enough clothes for one day. This is the fourth store that we've spent over two hours in!"

Glaring at her son, she placed the previous pair of robes – light blue with gold trim – into a growing pile of other garments for her son to wear while he was on Jurai. "All you dress in is that white robe. It's time you get something new."

Nobuyuki was also dressed in an odd set of robes – olive color with white trim – as he stood next to his own growing mountain of attire.

"Come on, mom. It's getting late. The sun has already started to set," he complained again, gesturing to the window which had bright yellow sunlight filtering in, the sun low in the sky.

"We're almost done, so quit your whining. You didn't like the way I redid the great hall, so the least you can do is let me dress you in something nice," she snapped, feeling like Yosho was a small child once again.

"You're embarrassing me!" he hissed, the redness flushing his cheeks. "You look like you're dressing your grandfather or something."

Funaho gave him a look that would've stopped a freight train in its tracks, and he immediately looked down at his feet. Sighing, she glared at him. "You never come to visit me, you never write, you never call. It's almost like I don't have a son to speak of!"

Yosho looked taken aback by her statement, and he hung his head in shame.

Nobuyuki looked at his father in surprise, and shook his own head. "You should talk to your mother more often. You do realize that she's not going to be around forever. You should appreciate your parents," he said, sounding almost as philosophical as Yosho typically does. "I'm fortunate to be able to see you every day. It's too bad I can't see mom anymore though."

Funaho nodded her head in agreement. "At least my grandson has more sense than some thick-headed boy I have," she said, causing Yosho to fret with his new robes. "Let's pay for this stuff and get back to the palace to eat, and then we'll have the fireworks show to see."

"Why don't you ask Washu to help you out with talking to your mom more often, Dad? I'm sure she can help you."

Yosho shot his son a withering glare, making sure that his mother didn't see it. He gestured with his hand that he'd have the thrashing of his life if he kept it up. However, Nobuyuki grinned even wider, as he hefted all of his new clothes into a waiting shopping cart, and helped Funaho with Yosho's garments.

"Dad seems to be embarrassed, Grandma," Nobuyuki began, standing next to the empress. "Why do you suppose that is?"

Catching his drift, she smiled casually. "He's always been like this. I should tell you about some of the things he did while he was a little boy."

Yosho stared at her in horror, a massive bead of sweat appearing on his head. He dropped down to both knees in front of Funaho, clasping both of his hands in front of him.

"I'm begging you mom. Please don't," Yosho said, sounding desperate.

Nobuyuki looked at this in great amusement and smiled widely. "Wow. He must've done some crazy stuff for him to do that now, right?" he asked, turning toward his grandmother.

"You have NO idea," she answered, watching her son, who looked like someone who was about to be marched off to death and was pleading for his life. "Come on, and I'll tell you about some of it on the way home," Funaho invited.

Yosho facefaulted and slowly got back to his feet, watching the retreating forms of his mother and his traitorous son. "I'm doomed."

"Where is Russ?" Aeka said for the tenth time within the last two hours, on her way back to the palace with her group of Azaka, Kamidake, Misaki, Tenchi, Ryoko, Ryo-Ohki, Ken-Ohki and Sasami. "He's been gone the whole day. I'm really worried about him. What if something happened and he's out there with Nagi?"

"Don't worry! Russ will be okay. Just relax, Aeka!" Sasami said, annoyed. She reached over and took Aeka's arm, giving it a warm squeeze. "He can take care of himself, although it is sweet that you're so worried about him," she added, and then giggled.

Giving an exasperated sigh, she looked at her mother for reassurance. "Mom?"

"Aeka! Enough already. He'll come back when he's ready, okay? You're going to get wrinkles from worrying so much."

Ryoko nearly exploded laughing because she had told Aeka the same thing when they ran out of food on the Yagami, and she had to go get more. Instead, she turned a bright shade of pink and tried her best not to laugh out loud. Tenchi noticed Ryoko's glee, and he shot her a withering glare that silenced her immediately and made her hang her head in shame. Feeling a little guilty, he put her arm around her and held her close, as he kept pace behind the princesses. He then whispered a small apology to Ryoko, who smiled in return.

"Well, it's getting late. We'll have dinner and then we'll watch the fireworks. After that, we'll do the gift giving part of the festival between all of us, and then we should all go to bed, so we'll be rested for the last day of the festival," Misaki directed, turning her head to look at everybody and to see if they approved or not.

"Sounds good to me. How come this only lasts two days?" Tenchi asked.

Misaki looked him a little funny, and shrugged her shoulders. "It's tradition. How long do your holidays last?"

"Well, there are various ones on Earth that last varying periods of time. Hanukah lasts seven days and Christmas is only one day. Come to think of it, nearly all our holidays are just for one day," Tenchi explained.

"Well, here, Startica is for two days. Everybody comes home at this time and celebrates it with their families. Everybody is in high spirits, gifts are exchanged, and families are reunited at least once a year. It's the best holiday on the planet. People from all around the galaxy come to join us in celebrating it too.

"It sounds a lot like Christmas back at home. As a matter of fact, we decorate trees like you guys have for Startica, and we exchange gifts and presents. However, not everybody has the privilege of coming home on Christmas Eve or Christmas Day. It's really unfortunate, and can also create a lot of depression."

"That's terrible! Everybody should be able to get together for the holidays!" Misaki said angrily, glaring at Tenchi.

"I know. But most humans don't see it that way. Some still have jobs to do and have to work on Christmas Day."

Misaki sighed in disgust. "I guess I still don't understand you humans."

Tenchi chuckled. "Most don't. Half the time, humans don't understand humans!"

Aeka continued to walk beside everybody in silence, trailed by the two guardians who continually looked at each other, and then at Aeka. It didn't take long before the put two and two together and realized that she was attracted to Russ.

"Excuse me, your highness?" Azaka began.

The three members of the Royal family turned and looked at him, wondering which one he was referring to.

"Um, Princess Aeka?"

Misaki and Sasami both looked at Aeka, and smiled. She slowed down her step, allowing Azaka and Kamidake to catch up to her, and she kept pace between the two guardians.

"Did you want something, Azaka?"

"Forgive me for prying, but why are you so worried about Russ? You saw what he did to Kamidake and myself yesterday."

Aeka sighed and looked down at the ground. "I don't know why, but I feel so… so… something when he's not around." She laughed and looked at both the knights. "I know it sounds funny, but I'm almost getting used to having him around. I get worried when he disappears for long periods of time."

Kamidake grinned. "I wouldn't worry about him. He's one of a kind."

"I agree with you completely on that one," she said, smiling at the red knight.

"Yeah. I've never seen anybody eat so much in my life," Azaka said, trying to keep from laughing out loud.

All three of them smiled and chuckled quietly, as they rounded a corner and began their approach to the palace.

"You like him, don't you, Aeka?" Azaka said, after overcoming a fit of the giggles.

Aeka seemed to be caught off guard by the directness of his question, but she shrugged her shoulders. "I like him as a great friend right now. The thing is, I'd like… well, to progress it a little further. The problem is, he doesn't, and has told me he doesn't want to. I want to change his mind, but I don't know how."

"Hmmm… how do you know? Maybe he likes you and doesn't want to say it."

Smiling up at the blue guardian, she sighed dreamily. "You really think that could be the case?"

"I think so. Whenever you enter a room, or look at him, he smiles. I know for a fact that he likes you," Azaka said with authority. "He'd be crazy if he didn't."

"I think he's crazy," Kamidake said, causing a surprised stare from both individuals. "I think he just feels that you're good friends right now. He may not be ready for a relationship. You could tell us about what went on between you two since you've met. I'd hate to draw conclusions on incomplete data."

"It's a long story. But to put it in a nutshell, he told me on the first day we met that he wasn't interested in any kind of relationship. After some… circumstances, he then told me that he'd think about it after the battle with his nemesis, Zorpheus. He predicted that would take one year."

"I see. Has he ever been involved before?"  
"I don't know. He told me that he hasn't, and from the reactions I saw from Tom, I think he's being honest. I don't understand why anybody wouldn't want to have someone with them for the rest of their lives. It would be so lonely to be by yourself all the time. I'm sure Ryoko could testify to that notion," she added, getting a nod from the space pirate.

"That's probably what he's used to," Kamidake said. "Did he say how long he's been alone?"

Aeka thought a moment. "He did say that he was alone for his entire life. Hardly any friends, and he spends a lot of time by himself training. At least, I think that's what he said," she replied, placing her finger against her cheek, trying to remember if she forgot any details.

"Then he's probably not ready to have someone in his life. But, if he's living with you now, he may just come around and realize what he's missing. He'd find a great woman in you, Aeka."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Kamidake," she said, giving him a wink and a warm smile. "But thanks for the sentiment."

They all reached the palace steps and began to make their way inside. Aeka looked off into the garden, the only place untouched by the festival. Out of nowhere, Russ and Nagi both appeared in the middle of it, in the blink of an eye. After a quick double take, she stopped in her tracks, almost causing Ryoko to run into her back.

"Hey, watch it, your royal low-ness. What's wrong with you?" Ryoko asked, irritated, but then noticed the direction Aeka was looking off into. She turned to look, and saw exactly what she was staring at. Fear flooded Ryoko's face as she gripped Tenchi's hand and let out a quick gasp.

"What's wrong, Ryoko?" Tenchi asked, feeling her grip tighten on his hand. He turned and looked off into the direction she was gazing in, and saw both Russ and Nagi, facing each other. They were too far off to see their expressions, but they both seemed to be okay.

"It's… Russ…" Aeka said, trailing off in mid-sentence.

The entire entourage stopped and stared, and watched both individuals in the middle of the garden. After what seemed like a minute, both Russ and Nagi turned toward the palace and began to make their way over. Aeka's excitement got the better of her as she quickly made her way down the steps and into the garden, making a brisk pace down the walkway. Ken-Ohki saw his master, and he shot off like he was fired from a rifle, racing directly for Nagi, raising a ruckus with his strange version of a meow with Ryo-Ohki calling after him.

About five feet away from both individuals, he stopped in his tracks and looked at both of them. Both Nagi and Russ smiled at him and stood still, but Ken-Ohki glared hard at Russ, hissing and bristling his fur.

"I guess I can't blame him for being pissed at me," Russ said, shrugging his shoulders and eyeing the white cabbit. "Is he going to bite me or something?"

"Ken-Ohki, that's enough. I'm fine," she told the cabbit, and he calmed down instantly, but watched Russ with distrust. "Anyway," she said, turning toward Russ. "I really appreciate you listening to everything I had to say. I have never had a confession before. It felt good, and I want to thank you for it."

Russ waved his hand and smiled. "And thank you for giving up the chase on Ryoko. I really appreciate that. Also, if you ever need someone to talk to, I'll be with Tenchi's family for the year. Just let me know a date and time, and I'll meet you anywhere you please."

They both looked at each other and nodded their heads, smiled, and then Nagi turned away from him and made her way across the field, never looking back, with Ken-Ohki at her side. It wasn't long before Aeka and company caught up to him.

"You big jerk!" Aeka yelled, getting in his face. "How dare you leave for so long and making me worry like this!" She raised her hand and went to slap Russ across the face.

Russ saw it coming and he ducked, letting her hand sail harmlessly over his head. However, when he stood back up, he gave Aeka a glare that could've curdled milk. "Since WHEN do I answer to YOU?" he snarled, startling Aeka out of her rampage. "Don't you EVER make a move to hit me out of anger."

Aeka's jaw dropped, and she was caught speechless. Russ just made a frown and walked past her, making his way to the palace just as everybody else caught up to him, as she continued to stare at him in shock, her eyes wide and mouth agape, and she looked like she just saw a ghost.

"What are you doing, Aeka?!" Misaki yelled. "Why did you try to hit him?"

"I… I don't know," she stuttered, looking at her hand and the retreating form of Russ. He walked slowly, his arms dangling at his sides with his hands balled up into fists. Looking at the ground in front of him, he hung his head as he walked. "I just reacted out of impulse."

Misaki grabbed her daughter in a hug. "I told you, there is no need to worry about him now. At the moment, he doesn't answer to anybody, and you have to accept that. He is who he is."

Aeka almost looked as if she was going to cry. "I just made a big mistake, didn't I, mommy?"

Gripping her daughter more tightly, she shook her head. "No. You were worried about him. In time, he'll come to realize that."

"But… but…" she started to say. She hesitated, and sniffled.

"It's okay, Aeka. Let's go back to the palace and eat now. I'm starving," Misaki said cheerily, hoping to make Aeka forget about the tirade that just happened.

Everybody else just stood by quietly and didn't say a word. They all turned to follow the two as they made their way down the path and followed Russ, keeping their distance, and wondering what could be running through his mind.

Dinner passed by in relative silence. Every time Aeka looked over at Russ, he was looking straight ahead and didn't say anything to anybody, even to the guardians who tried to start a friendly conversation with him. He ate his dinner at warp speed, and then sat in silence, waiting for everybody else to finish. Misaki glared at him for being so stubborn, but she reminded herself of what she told Aeka earlier, and that he'd come around eventually. She debated with herself on having another talk with him or not. Eventually, she reached the conclusion that saying nothing was the best way to proceed. Kids will be kids, and despite all the advice she'd have, she figured that they'd learn better on their own. They would have to get used to each other if it were ever going to work.

Finally, desert was brought out – delicious cheesecake, made from only the finest ingredients on Jurai, topped with Jurian cherries. Everybody dug into the desert with gusto, but once again, Russ finished his in a matter of seconds. Except this time, instead of waiting for other courses or everybody else to finish, he got up and marched himself out the door. Everybody stopped at stared at his retreating form, and silence ensued after that. Nobody said a word to stop him, and the only noise in the hall was the sound of the door closing behind him.

Aeka looked over at her mother. "Mommy?"

"Shhh," she said quietly, and shook her head. "Just leave him be. He's probably very embarrassed at how he acted out there. Leave him alone for now. He has to think."

"But, where is he going?"

"Who knows? That's not important right now. He needs a little time to reflect. If he isn't around by the time the fireworks are supposed to start, then you can go find him," Misaki said, smiling. "I'm sure he'll join us for that."

"Yeah, Aeka. He'll be around for that for sure!" Sasami said, smiling sweetly. "I just know he will!"

The princess smiled slightly and nodded her head. "I guess you're right."

Asuza glared hard at the door, and if looks could kill, Russ would've been dead ten times over. He cleared his throat and continued eating his desert as if nothing had happened. Everybody else at the table did their best to appear uninterested, and they continued eating their food.

Entering the Royal Theater, Russ made his way down the hundreds of rows of chairs to the base of the stage, where he leapt on top of the polished wood with a heavy thud.

"DAMMIT!" he roared, stomping his foot. "Why do women have to be so friggin difficult!"

Looking around for something to mess with, he noticed the portable holo-projector that Tom said they'd use to create instruments and other important materials for that concert they were supposed to have. Carefully moving it to the middle of the stage, he hit a few buttons to turn the machine on, keyed a few more commands, and his huge organ appeared to the leftmost side of the stage.

"Man, I really blew it out there. I have to control my temper if I'm going to be around these people. I just wish Aeka didn't have the hots for me!" he muttered to nobody in particular, walking over to the bench and sitting down, adjusting his gi for a better fit. He let out a sigh and relaxed slightly, tilting his head all the way back, looking at the ceiling. He swung his feet back and forth under the bench, and silently abused himself for being so hotheaded out there.

Sitting forward again, he looked at the gleaming white keys of the massive instrument and thought of several songs that would calm him down. Tapping a few keys on the computer console, he brought up the rhythm and most of the background music for Armitage III – Silent War, and began to play. He cranked the volume of the organ to near maximum, which was loud enough to vibrate the floor and feel it slightly in his gut, but not quite deafening enough to hurt his ears.

Playing for several minutes, he could feel himself calming down, as he moved his hands in the same pattern over and over again, as more and more instruments joined in the piece. Having the massive hall to himself, the surround sound from the extra instruments echoed behind him, and he smiled. The drumbeat kicked in near the end of the song, which was powerful enough to feel in every bone in his body, and he felt so alive again as if he finished a massive battle against a powerful foe. Continuing for another minute or two, the song slowly faded its way out, and he once again sat in silence.

"Music soothes the savage beast," Russ chuckled.

Deciding to pass more time away, he played the main theme to Armitage III. However, after doing this song, he felt the need to play something that had vocals in it, and he also gathered an urge to play the drums. Moving over to the holoprojector, he keyed some additional commands, and the organ vanished, but was replaced with a huge variety of instruments. A drum set sat near the middle of the stage up on a platform, several guitars were off to the right next to three microphones. Still more instruments presented themselves onstage, all ready to be played. Russ grinned, and thought a few moments, then decided to play a few tunes that starred Megumi Hayashibara.

In an instant, an entire cast of musicians appeared, holding their instruments of choice, and an image of Lime from Saber Marionette J stood in front of the main microphone. She turned and looked at Russ, who smiled and gave her a thumb up. She did the same and waited for him to make his way to the drum set and sit down.

Cracking the two drumsticks together to start the rhythm, the band began to play Hesitation Remix. Beating the drums in perfect rhythm, the band stayed synchronized with him, as Lime sang the song. Russ couldn't help but smile, and he felt as good as new.

After that song was finished, he continued on to play Izayoi, Proof to Myself Remix, the original Hesitation, and Lively Emotion. After that, he switched albums and began to play songs from The Slayers series. He swapped Lina Inverse in place of Lime, and he chuckled to himself, thinking that Lina had more hardware on her than Tom's Star Destroyer. Songs from The Slayers included Breeze, Give a Reason, Get Along, Naked Mind, Gloria, In This Arm, and even Unlimited Desire.

Once he finished with all the anime tracks, he moved over to the projector and called up three more songs that he wanted to do. All three were from a band called Linkin Park, and the three songs he brought up were Papercut, In the End, and Pushing Me Away. Moving back to the drum set, he fit a microphone over his head and began the first song, singing the main lyrics of the piece while pounding on the drums.

After about an hour and a half of solid playing, and having his forehead drenched in perspiration from whacking the drums for so long, he turned off the projector and sat down on the stage, took several deep breaths, and tried to decide what would be the best way to approach Aeka and her family again. He felt that he acted like a complete moron. If only Aeka didn't take a swing at him.

He knew that Aeka cared for him, even though he felt that he didn't reciprocate it. She must really care deeply for him to pull a stunt like she did out there.

"She may have been worried, but did she have to try to slap me for it?" Russ asked aloud, hearing his voice reverberate around the hall while he continued to stare at the floor in front of him.

"She cares about you, that's why."

Russ's eyes became extremely large as his head snapped up and looked directly into the pink eyes of Sasami. Caught completely by surprise, he yelped and fell off the stage, landing on his backside on the floor.

Sasami didn't smile, giggle, or give any indication that she found the event funny.

"When the he… When did you get here?" Russ asked, pulling himself up.

Sasami just looked at him, folding her arms over her chest. "I've been sitting outside the hall doors the entire time you've been playing. I was waiting for you to finish before I came in and interrupted you. I wanted to hear the music, but didn't want to disturb you."

"I wouldn't have minded you coming in, Sasami. You know that," Russ said, looking mildly confused.

"But you would've minded my sister, right? Please tell me you're not going to fight with her."

Russ closed his eyes a moment and reopened them, watching the little princess and wondering how to worm his way out of a potential trap. "I'm not going to fight with her. I hate fighting with people. I just wish things had gone a little differently out there is all."

"You left us for the entire day! You were supposed to spend the whole day with us, and we were going to play a whole bunch of games and stuff, but you vanished with Nagi! What were we supposed to think?" she yelled, clearly upset.

"I'm sorry Sasami, but there were other circumstances that needed my attention. You're too little to understand it."

"I am NOT too little! You were going to spend the whole day with us, and you were looking forward to it. And now the day is over!"

Russ sighed as his heart began to ache. "There is always tomorrow."

"But what about what happened today!? You didn't think about how we'd feel after you left, did you?"

Feeling his blood start to boil, he took in a breath through his nose, and let it out through his mouth, slowly. "Please stop rubbing it in. I'm getting upset over this again. All that I can do is say that I'm sorry."

"Don't say it to me," she said, looking at him angrily. "You know who you need to say it to."

"I know that!" Russ shouted, sliding off the stage once more, but landing on his feet. Sasami's gaze didn't falter, and she showed no fear. "I just need…" he said, but trailed off and looked toward the doors, which were closing behind Aeka, who just entered the hall. Squeezing his eyes shut, he turned away from both princesses.

Silence ensued as Aeka made her way down to the stage floor, and stood next to her sister. They both looked at Russ, who slowly turned around and faced both girls, his expression unhappy, and then he looked at the floor.

"And how long were you out there?" Russ asked, his voice quiet. "Did you hear everything too?"

"Yes." Aeka slowly approached Russ again, and stood directly in front of him, her hands folded in front of her. Russ didn't meet her gaze, but continued to look at the floor in front of him. "It's okay. I shouldn't have tried to slap you."

Russ shook his head. "It's my fault. If I had come back sooner, you wouldn't have been as upset."

"But you had some things to discuss with Nagi, right?"

"Yeah, but still. I should've realized that I was making you so concerned about me. I'm sorry about that."

"It's okay. We both made mistakes today, Russ," Aeka said, looking at Russ's boots. "I don't think I'll make the same one again."

"Me neither," Russ answered, shuffling his foot.

"Can we start over?" Aeka invited, reaching out and grasping Russ's hand. His hand was so strong and warm, but felt very relaxed. It was amazing that a hand so strong could still be so gentle.

Russ sighed. "I'm sorry," he said again, and he didn't pull away. "I'm so violent to be around. Why did you have to become attracted to me?"

Aeka squeezed his hand tighter. "Because you have all the qualities I look for, and am attracted to. Plus, you don't treat me like royalty, but as a normal, everyday person. I like being treated as a person rather than a figurehead. You're the only person besides Tenchi to have done that."

"I see."

Aeka smiled, as she reached up with her other hand and raised Russ's face, so she could finally see him, and him to her. "Would you please join me for the fireworks? That would make me and Sasami very happy."

"I think I can manage that," Russ answered, doing his best to smile, but failing. He still felt bad over what he did, and he continued to silently beat himself up over it.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. You're only human, after all," Aeka said, taking him by the arm and leading him out of the auditorium.

Sasami watched the two, and she felt very contented and happy. Following behind them, she kept quiet and simply listened to the two talk to each other. However, Russ continually apologized for his outburst, and Sasami found that to be one of the sweetest things that anybody could've done. Even Tenchi didn't do what he did.

Some fifteen minutes later, Washu, Kiyone, Mihoshi, Funaho, Yosho, Nobuyuki, Azaka, Kamidake, Asuza, Misaki, Aeka, Sasami, Ryo-Ohki, and Russ, approached the apex of a small hill in the Royal Garden. On top of the hill was a large gazebo, complete with thrones and other chairs. The hill itself was nearly twenty feet high, and the steepness of the hill was not very bad. Steps ran all the way to the building, and made climbing easy. Asuza, Misaki, and Funaho took their seats, and everybody else, except for Russ, Aeka, and Sasami, sat in the available chairs. Russ elected to climb down the hill slightly, and lie back onto the soft grasses, and just relax. Of course, Aeka and Sasami did the same.

It was dark and starting to get hard to see, as the time wound down to what was supposed to be the beginning of the fireworks, however, nothing was happening. Minutes passed by, and still no fireworks. Russ could faintly hear a chorus of boo's emanating from various crowds around the palace, and a light amount of chatter coming from the gazebo above him.

"What's going on? How come there aren't any fireworks? Aren't they supposed to start now?" Russ asked, continuing to gaze into the darkening sky.

"They should've started about five minutes ago. I think there is something wrong," Aeka replied, looking concerned. "I hope they don't have to cancel."

Russ scratched his head and grinned slightly. "We won't need to cancel."

Aeka and Sasami both looked at him in confusion. "What do you mean?" Sasami asked, watching Russ's grinning expression.

Without another word, Russ raised his arm, pointed it at the sky, and an instant later a small white ball of ki fired from his palm and raced to the stars, where it flashed and disappeared. A second later, a massive boom resonated around the land, as an uproar of cheers exploded from the nearby groups.

"Wow! I didn't know you could do that with ki!" Sasami exclaimed in excitement. "Can you do others?"

"Sure can. You name it, and I can probably make it. Watch this," Russ said, firing another small ki ball from his hand. It raced into the sky and exploded in a gorgeous pattern of greens, reds, and yellows, all circling around each other in a geometric flower. A moment later, a thunderous boom resonated around the buildings, rattling windows and causing another uproar of cheering.

"That's fantastic. And no smoke either," Aeka whispered, watching the spectacle fade out and vanish into oblivion. "Can you do a Cherry Blossom flower?"

Russ grinned as he fired another blast into the sky. The ball exploded into a fantastic sight, as it produced a perfect version of the flower, along with a green stem and green leaves.

A round of applause greeted his ears from the onlookers in the gazebo, and he smiled to himself has he fired off several more blasts, each detonating in various patterns in dazzling arrays of colors.

"How long is this supposed to go for?" Russ inquired, firing off another salvo of ki balls.

"About forty five minutes to an hour. But if you get tired out before then, you can stop at any time," Aeka told him.

"No problem. Sit back, and enjoy the show," Russ declared, firing off another five balls into the upper atmosphere and watching them detonate in wonderful and different colors and patterns.

He continued to wow and dazzle all the onlookers, as he finally realized it was time to wrap up the show. Raising his other hand and bracing himself, he began firing off hundreds of ki balls, all of them exploding like popcorn and producing incredible displays of design, geometry, and color. Aeka watched him as he continued to shoot his energy into the atmosphere like a machine gun, and she felt so contented to be next to him, as she watched him in the varying colors of his fireworks. He continued this for another five minutes, and then fired off one last massive ball into the upper atmosphere, where it exploded into an incredible design, which read, "That's all, Folks!" and shook the ground with its explosion.

Loud cheering from miles around could be heard, as well as a roar of appreciation from the gazebo. Even Asuza was applauding the performance, since he was one to enjoy fireworks and was very happy that he wasn't disappointed this year.

Taking a deep breath, Russ lowered his hands to his sides and smiled contentedly. "Did you enjoy the show you guys?" he asked, looking at Sasami, and then Aeka.

"That was great!" Sasami squealed. "Thank you so much for doing that for everybody. We've never seen anything like it before."

"That's right, Sasami. This was a real treat for us, Russ. Thank you," Aeka said, rubbing his arm. "Are you tired out?"

Russ yawned. "I'm not fatigued, but I'm getting sleepy," he said, rubbing his eyes. "Is there anything else we have to do?"

"Just one more thing. Gift exchanging!" Sasami said gleefully. "I can't wait to see what I get this year."

Russ looked at both of them in horror, and then hung his head. "Oh no. I had no idea you guys exchanged gifts at this time!" he fretted. "What am I going to do now?"

Aeka giggled. "Don't worry about it. You don't have to give anything. Just come with us back to the palace and keep us company."

Everybody in the gazebo was already making his or her way down the steps. Russ, Aeka, and Sasami all got to their feet and followed behind the main group. "But I don't have anything to give! I'm going to feel weird not giving anything."

"I told you not to worry about it," Aeka giggled. "Just relax."

Russ sighed. "I know. I'll make it up to you at Christmas time. Will that be okay?"

"Absolutely," Sasami said, hanging on Russ's right arm. "I can't wait to see what you get me."

"I've got some planning to do, in that case," Russ said, his face determined. "I'll make sure you guys have the best Christmas ever!"

"Christmas isn't for another six months!" Aeka exclaimed, looking at Russ. "What could you be planning that would take that long for?"

"Well, I need to get one for you, Sasami, Tenchi, Ryoko, Nobuyuki, Yosho, Washu, Mihoshi, Kiyone, and Ryo-Ohki. That's going to take a lot of planning, especially for what I like to do during Christmas." Russ grinned evilly, as he eyed both the princesses. "It's going to be big."

Now both girls stared at him, their curiosity already beginning to manifest and grow, wondering what he could be thinking of that could be so gigantic and wonderful. In the past, Russ was known to really go out of his way for holiday gifts, especially for Christmas. Even though he was unsure as to what to get everybody, six months should be plenty of time to decide and plan out the perfect presents. Figuring that he'd have to call in a few favors, he'd do his very best to make everybody happy, even if it was only for one day. The problem was it was almost as torturous for Russ to keep it a secret as it was for everybody else. Already some ideas were beginning to develop inside Russ's mind, and he began to grow excited, already thinking about Christmas. However, he bit his tongue and decided to take one risk, and that was to read their minds when they didn't know it, to be able to get the absolute, most perfect present.

"Well, we're going to be in my parents living quarters. There is a big tree there with lots of presents under it already," Sasami said, still holding onto Russ's arm.

"I'm sorry that I don't have anything to give you guys. I feel bad about it. Maybe I can find something real fast…" Russ stopped in mid-sentence as his mind began racing, and he decided on something.

"What is it, Russ?" Aeka asked, watching his changing expressions.

"Hmmm? Oh, nothing. I just thought of something, that's all," Russ answered, walking up the palace steps and making his way inside the front doors.

"Well, what is it?" Sasami inquired, pulling on his arm.

"You'll see it soon enough," Russ replied, smiling in a sadistic way. "No hints until then."

Sasami pouted. "No fair." She then started gigging.

After a few minutes, they both made their way down the main hallway to the Royal Family's quarters. Misaki unlocked and then pushed open the massive doors, and then turned on the lights to the room. Everybody entered directly into a living room, which was extremely huge. Furniture that was crafted from only the most skilled woodworkers on Jurai presented itself on the floor, surrounding a gigantic, fifteen-foot tall Startica tree. A gorgeous, red oriental rug was placed under it and the furniture, and the rest of the flooring was hard wood. On a nearby wall, a beautiful fireplace complete with gold trimmed glass windows was set into the wall, with a marble mantle on top of it. About three quarters the way inside the living room, there was a step up to another level of the floor, which was the dining area, in case they wanted to eat privately. A long table, some twenty feet in length sat on this landing, made of a very light colored wood, as was everything else in the room. A large chair sat at the middle of the table, and two smaller ones sat at the ends. The entire room was extremely bright and cheery, but didn't have a lot of color outside of wood. Lights of all styles and craftsmanship were placed around the room, which were made of old, black iron, and looked like something out of medieval times. A crystal chandelier hung at the very top of the twenty-foot tall vaulted ceiling that had nearly fifty small lights on it. It sparked like a well-polished jewel.

Russ, Tenchi, and everybody else who have never been in a high class situation before looked on it in complete awe, and couldn't help but marvel at the grandness of the place. Everywhere they turned, they saw items that they could've only dreamt of affording. The only thing that Russ found a problem with is that there was no technology, in terms of a stereo system or form of entertainment. Assuming that they had yet another room for that kind of thing, he continued gawking at everything in the room, and barely noticed that Misaki, Funaho, and Asuza had sat down on a nearby loveseat and were waiting for everybody to join them, ready to hand out the gifts.

"Aeka?" Misaki called over to her daughter, who was now pulling on Russ's arm, who barely seemed to notice her. "You're first. Here's one of your presents!" Misaki waved around a package that had some really unusual wrapping paper on it, in that it was a very pretty shade of violet. It almost matched Aeka's hair color.

Just as she was about to accept the package, she turned around to see everybody as she opened it, and her jaw dropped in astonishment. Russ was gone. Vanished. Poof. Just like he wasn't there to begin with, and she frowned in disappointment.

"He's gone AGAIN!" she yelled, drawing curious stares from all the occupants in the room. A moment later, they realized whom she was referring to.

"Not again," Sasami said, rolling her eyes. "Don't worry, Aeka. He's probably doing something and he'll be right back. Maybe he went to the bathroom or something."

Aeka sighed to herself, and began to open her small package.

"I gotta get this stuff to their rooms before they finish their gift exchange," Russ said to himself, racing toward Aeka and Sasami's room. Reaching it in a matter of moments, he used his instantaneous movement ability and teleported inside their room. Quickly leaving a gift on Aeka's bed, one on Sasami's and leaving one on the floor for Ryo-Ohki, he left their room and teleported to Tenchi and Ryoko's room, leaving a gift for each on their bed. Repeating the same thing to get to Washu's room, he left her a gift on her bed, then proceeded to Yosho and Nobuyuki's room, and left the last present there.

"Well, that didn't take long," he said, and then let out a massive yawn. "I feel like Santa Claus. But anyway, I should go to bed. I'd feel funny about going back there. I think they'd understand." Stretching and yawning once more, he teleported himself back to his bedroom, where he quickly turned on his desk fan, undressed down to his underclothes, and flopped onto his bed, where he fell asleep almost instantly, snoring like a hibernating bear.

"Oooh! That Russ. He'll never learn," Aeka growled, her hands balled into fists at her sides, as she stomped off to her room, trailed by Sasami and Ryo-Ohki.

"Oh Aeka, would you stop it already? You're going to drive yourself AND Russ crazy with the way you worry about him. Stop it already. It's not like the war between you, Ryoko and Tenchi, where you'd have to watch Ryoko like a hawk all day long," Sasami said, tossing her hands into the air in exasperation. "You're so insecure about him and he's the last person on Earth that you'd need to be concerned about!"

Aeka sighed in resignation. "Of course, you're right, Sasami. I guess I just got so accustomed to being so worried about someone else that I forgot what it's like to not worry about being betrayed, or left behind."

"I understand that, Aeka, but you're overboard with him!"

Aeka giggled. "I guess that's what happens when you chase someone. You'll learn about it sooner or later."

Sasami stared at her sister for a moment, and then looked a little worried. "I won't be like you, will I?" she asked, cracking a small grin.

Aeka whirled around and looked down at her little sister, and then started laughing. "Sasami, you're bad. Come on, I'm tired. Let's hit the sack, okay?"

"Yeah. But anyway, how do you like your gift?"

"It's nice, but not as nice as the present from Ryoko and Tenchi from a few weeks ago." Aeka held up a beautifully crafted emerald ring, made from platinum and emerald jewels, in a design that would've made a computer crash if it tried to render it. "Just another thing to add to my collection."

"If you don't want it, I'll have it," Sasami said, hopeful.

"Forget it. You'll probably blackmail this out of me anyway as you did with the amethyst necklace and the matching earrings and bracelet!"

Sasami giggled. "I don't know what you're talking about."

"I'm sure you don't," Aeka said, arrogantly. "But how do you like your present?"

"It's pretty nice, although, I would've rather had something else," she said, carrying a brand new, ultra expensive silk bathrobe. "I'm still a kid you know."

Aeka began giggling, and then started laughing. "Says the one who always says, 'I'm not too little' all the time."

Sasami was about to say something, but they had made it to their room, and Aeka pushed open the door, and then turned on the light.

A huge violet lion, and a massive green bear sat on each of their beds, respectively. The lion was for Aeka, and the bear for Sasami. Both of them stopped, stared, and then turned to look at each other, and they both knew whom it came from.

"We're going to have to thank Russ for these. You know, he didn't get anything either. I guess he thought he was," Sasami said quietly, admiring the huge toy on her bed. She then noticed the super huge stuffed cabbit toy on the floor, which looked almost identical to Ryo-Ohki herself. "And I bet I know who this is for," she giggled.

"That Russ… he's something else, that's for sure."

Turning around and closing the door to their room, they locked it for the night, undressed, and fell asleep, all three of them clutching the super sized animals for the night.

Washu, Kiyone, and Mihoshi all walked together down the hall, heading to their rooms for the night. They were all carrying gifts from the Royal Family, and they were all extremely happy with their loot. They came to stop in front of the Galaxy Police's quarters.

"Well, I had a real good time today. Thanks for having me tag along with you girls."

"No problem, Washu. We enjoyed your company," Kiyone said, smiling, and then letting out a huge yawn, stretching her arms over her head.

"Yeah Washu! Would you like to accompany us again tomorrow?" Mihoshi invited.

Watching the both of them, she grinned and nodded her head. "I think I'd like that. Thank you, Mihoshi. I appreciate it."

"Oh, think nothing of it. You can buy us dinner again!" she said happily, and drawing a curious but perturbed look from Washu. Kiyone just groaned and smiled.

"I'll see you tomorrow in that case, Washu. Good night," Kiyone said, pushing open her door and walking inside, nearly dragging Mihoshi with her. Both girls stopped almost instantly when they turned on the light and stared at their beds. On Kiyone's bed, a small, green, froglike stuffed animal sat on her pillow, and a brown teddy bear sat on Mihoshi's. They both looked at the animals in astonishment, then turned to look at Washu, who happened to notice Kiyone's and Mihoshi's hesitation when they entered their room.

"What's this?" Kiyone asked to nobody in particular.

"Oh wow! Santa must've visited us!" Mihoshi squealed in delight.

"Santa doesn't visit Jurai, and he's just a folklore!" Kiyone shouted.

Mihoshi looked at her in confusion. "Then it was the Easter Bunny?"

Both Washu and Kiyone facefaulted, recovered, and shook their heads. They looked at each other, shared a quick laugh, and smiled at each other.

"Good night, Washu. See you tomorrow," Kiyone said again, closing the door behind her.

Washu grinned. "Good night, girls."

Now alone, she proceeded to her own room, where she was now expecting to see something there, waiting for her. She knew that this is why Russ vanished earlier, but her curiosity was starting to get the better of her as she pushed open her own door and stepped inside.

Turning on her light, she looked on her bed, and saw her gift. She couldn't help but smile, since it was her favorite type of gift. A red crab, about two feet in diameter, was sprawled on her pillow. The real kicker was that this crab had a ribbon on it.

Shedding her clothes quickly and turning out her light, she flopped into her bed and hugged the crab tightly, and quickly drifted off into peaceful slumber, completely forgetting about any scientific analysis that she had the computers perform the night before. It could all go to hell for a couple days. The world wasn't going to end if she didn't work on something for that long.

Yosho and Nobuyuki entered their room, turned on the light, and noticed a small stuffed bokken sitting on their beds. They stopped, stared and smiled, knowing whom it came from. Setting it on the dresser, they quickly jumped into bed and fell asleep quickly, worn out from a day of shopping and motherly torture.

Lastly, Tenchi and Ryoko both went into their room to find presents on their bed. On the bed, a miniature version of Tenchi and a stuffed doll of Ryoko both sat, waiting for their new owners. Ryoko and Tenchi both stared at each other, lifted his or her presents at the exact same time, and they both chuckled, and then started laughing.

"Only Russ would be able to find something like this in such a short period of time. Hey, these are the prizes he won while we were all out today. I wonder what everybody else got?" Tenchi asked, putting the Ryoko doll back on the bed and pulling his shirt off.

"Who knows? I'm tired. Let's go to sleep, Tenchi," she said, pulling him down to the bed, where she had already laid down. "We've got another big day ahead of us."

"Yeah. Good night, Ryoko," he answered, flopping onto his pillow.

"Good night, Tenchi. See you in the morning."

Tenchi leaned over and kissed her, and then laid his head on the pillow, drifting off into slumber a few minutes later.

Ryoko, however, stayed awake a little while longer. She began to think about Aeka and how differently she acted around Russ in comparison with Tenchi. She almost seemed paranoid, even though she had no need to be. Russ wasn't going anywhere soon. Debating on bringing it up with Aeka tomorrow, she looked over at her treasure, which was sleeping peacefully beside her. Feeling a little bit of pity for her once rival, she sighed and drifted off to sleep a short while later.


	13. Startica, Part 2

Ep 13 – Startica, Part 2

I finally decided to change this silly header. *snicker* Anyway, everybody knows the copyright information so I'll just forgo that. The story is approaching the end. I predict another 3 chapters give or take 2, and that'll be it. It's been a lot of fun writing this little saga (which is surprising, since I have a hard time writing a 6 page term paper!) and I hope you've enjoyed reading it too. I MAY do a second series or continuation of the story, or I may not end this at all. It all depends. Send all hate mail / fan mail to .

Notice! New Website is going up for the Tenchi fans! Come check it out at .net and sign the Guestbook, letting me know you were there. The fanfic will also be posted there, as will it be on the TMFFA, AND on .net.

For the family's third and final time, the sunlight of dawn chased away the shadows for the last day of the Startica festival, and the last day of everybody's vacation. Even though they had been on the planet for three days, it seemed way less than that. Time had just flown by, leaving everybody in the dust. However, it was very satisfying for everybody to finally kick back and relax, and just enjoy each other's company on such a gorgeous planet.

Everybody had gotten up fairly early and made their way to the breakfast table. Everyone, except for Russ, who had seemed to vanish into thin air once more.

"You have got to be kidding me! Where is he now?" Aeka snapped, sitting at the table and glaring at the empty seat. "I can't believe he misses meals like this. It's really rude."

Sasami rolled her eyes and leaned toward Misaki. "Here we go again," she whispered, then started giggling.

Already in a bad mood, Asuza was not about to put up with his daughters complaining. "Be quiet! All you ever do is whine and moan about where he goes. Who cares!" Glaring hard at Aeka, he sat up straighter. "No barbarian of that kind should ever even have the privilege of living with the crown princess of this planet let alone even consider courting her!"

Everybody immediately became deathly quiet, turning their attention to the meal in front of them and trying not to look at the king, who had his eyebrows furrowed together and had an aura of rage about him. Aeka stared at her father like he had suddenly sprouted a third eye, and she failed to come up with a suitable retort.

Caught completely off guard by his nastiness and meanness, several tears welled up in Aeka's eyes as she stared hard at her father, letting the rage build higher and higher until it nearly reached the breaking point.

"How dare you speak about him like that! You don't know anything about him!" she shouted, the tears now streaming down her cheeks. "What is your problem with him anyway?"

"He's less than a peasant here. He is nothing. He has nothing to give to this kingdom or to you, which would even qualify as an offering," he dictated, as if giving a speech. "You will not become involved with him! You will only see him for what he is, and that is just a dirty piece of trash."

Staring wide-eyed, the tears continued to drip from the bottom of her chin. "That's not fair! I see him for what he is, and that is a kind, caring, considerate and an incredibly nice man! I like him for who he is! Why must you meddle in this and treat him like you do?"

"You know what I see?" Asuza began, staring hard into her daughter's saddened eyes. "I see a man who has no morals, is rude, conceded, has nothing to offer, takes up space, and is a waste of flesh. He is so privileged to even know you, yet he continually shoves it in your face since he doesn't care. You think he's a nice man? Hah! There are hundreds of suitors out there who could benefit you, care for you, love you, and contribute to the empire as well," he decreed, slamming his fist down on the table, causing a few droplets of miso soup to splash out of his bowl. He stood up from his chair. "But you can't see that, can you? You've been blinded by this piece of trash and have been seduced by him." Asuza sat back down and continued. "You're only seeing what you want to see and nothing more! You can't see past the front he is laying down for you, can you? No! Of course you can't. I don't know what that man has said to you to make you behave like this, but I can assure you that he is not the man you think he is, and furthermore…"

"SHUT UP!" Aeka screamed, her face beet red. "How dare you say anything like that about him! You two haven't even SPOKEN to each other! How can you draw conclusions like that! The first thing you did when you met him was glare at him and turn away! You've been nothing but rude to him, so it's no wonder he doesn't like you! That's all you've done this entire time is badger and beleaguer him. I've had enough! He's more of a man than you'll ever be! I hate you!" She immediately turned and ran to the door, sobbing uncontrollably.

Asuza just let her go, and turned his attention back to his breakfast, despite the horrified looks by both his wives, and a very sad face from Sasami. The only sound in the hall was the door slamming behind Aeka, and the occasional scrape of silver on china from those who were still finishing their breakfasts, and a few sobs from the little princess.

Misaki stood up slowly, wiped her mouth off with a napkin, and turned toward her husband with a vengeance. She bent down slowly, placing her hand on top of his head and turning it toward her, looking directly into his eyes, so he could see the burning inferno in her own.

"Get up. You and I are going to talk about our daughter," she demanded quietly, through clenched teeth. "Now."

Looking back at her coolly, and with a slight hint of fear, he shook his head, despite Misaki's iron grip on top of his hair. "After breakfast."

Raising her eyes to look at Funaho, she motioned for her to stand, which she did. Turning her attention back to her husband, she put her face directly in front of his once more. "Not later. Now. Get up, and you're coming with both of us."

Sighing in resignation, he rose from his seat, amidst the stares from around the table. "Please excuse me. My wives and I have something to discuss. We will be back momentarily."

Misaki shook her head. "We'll be gone for about an hour. Please, find something to do after breakfast, and we'll come and get you once we're done. I'd recommend waiting within the palace."

Nods from the various people sitting around the table gave her the acknowledgement she was looking for, and she regally, quickly, and roughly, led her husband out of the dining hall, trailed by Funaho. Asuza looked very nervous at hearing how long this conversation was going to take.

Tenchi turned toward Ryoko. "What do you think is going to happen?" he whispered quietly.

"I'm not sure you want to know, Tenchi. Jurai customs are quite strange in comparison to what goes on back home," she replied, turning away from Tenchi and looking fearfully at the door that the royals had just exited. "I almost pity the king right now."

"Even after how he made Aeka cry?"

Ryoko became thoughtful for a split second, and an evil grin presented itself on her lips. "Lets just say that he's going to get what he deserves."

"I thought so, but what about Aeka? Where did she go?"

"Come on, Tenchi. Let's go find her," Ryoko suggested. "I'm sure she needs a friend right now."

Tenchi nodded and stood up, and Ryoko did the same. Azaka and Kamidake also rose from their seats, and approached the two.

"We'd like to accompany you as well, if you don't mind," Kamidake asked.

"Certainly. You two probably know Aeka better than the both of us," Ryoko agreed. "Do you know where she went?"

"Not at the moment. But we have a couple of pretty good guesses. She probably either went to her room, out into the garden, or possibly into the theater. Most of those places are currently empty, and it would be a good place for her to be alone," Azaka said, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "Let's go."

"Nine thousand, nine hundred, ninety-five… Nine thousand, nine hundred, ninety-six… Nine thousand, nine hundred, ninety-seven…" Russ grunted, performing pushups in the garden, where he was currently alone. The weather was so nice outside that he figured he might as well train in the outdoors, where he would be able to enjoy the scenery, the soft grasses, and the pleasant temperatures. He had been exercising since he got up this morning, which was before everybody else. It was still dark outside when he began his routine under intense gravity. Increasing the gravity by ten a day had really begun to push him to his limits, and he could feel it making him stronger and stronger. But just because he was on vacation didn't mean he could take a vacation from his exercise.

"Nine thousand, nine hundred, ninety-eight…" he growled again, the salty perspiration dripping off of the end of his nose like a leaky faucet. Since it was still early, there was hardly anybody out and about, and it was very quiet and peaceful, except for a few insects that buzzed around his head and the call of some early morning birds.

"Nine thousand, nine hundred, ninety-nine… Ten thousand!" he said triumphantly, and then he collapsed onto the grass, breathing heavily and giving his body a quick break. Rolling onto his back, he looked up into the brightening sky, where the sun had already crested the distant horizon. He closed his eyes and could feel sleep tugging at him from the back of his mind, but he knew he would need to continue, and it was only the beginning of the day. It was still quiet, aside from some elderly people who had left their homes and were already walking the streets. The soft scraping of their shoes on the ground and their idle chatter just barely to made it to Russ, where he continued to lounge, near a flowerbed. The sounds of four people walking down the nearby pathway finally reached his ears, and their voices reached him a moment later. Listening to the conversation for a moment, he immediately recognized all four individuals.

Grunting and straining to get himself into a sitting position, he looked over top of the short flowers and saw Ryoko, Tenchi, Azaka, and Kamidake coming down the path, slowly, but looking quite concerned at each other. A moment later Ryoko noticed Russ sitting on the ground and watching them, and she quickly began to make her way over to him, while everybody else followed her.

"What's up guys? Is something wrong?" Russ asked, noting everybody's appearance.

"Hey Russ. What are you doing out here?" Tenchi asked, looking down at Russ's sitting form.

Russ smiled. "I was exercising. Instead of doing it in the training room, I decided to do it here. It's nice and comfortable out here, plus the scenery is nicer."

"I see. Have you seen Aeka yet this morning?"

"No I haven't," Russ answered, watching everybody's changing expressions. "Why? Is something the matter?"

"Well, no. Not really," Tenchi began. "But she got into a fight with her father at breakfast today."

Russ's eyebrow twitched slightly and he unconsciously clenched his hands into fists. "What happened?"

Ryoko looked at Tenchi, and then back down at Russ. "It was about you and Aeka again. The king basically hates your guts and he doesn't want his daughter having anything to do with you," Ryoko said, drawing a look of shock from all the bystanders at her bluntness. "She ran out of the hall and took off, and we've been looking for her, to keep her company and console her."

Russ shook his head. "Man, what should I do? Most of you guys want me involved with her, and her father wants just the opposite. And to be honest, I don't WANT to become involved. You guys know that. If you do find her, tell her that her father is right."

Staring at him in utter disbelief, Ryoko nearly fell over. "You WHAT?! I'd never do such a thing to her! You don't even know what he said about you!"

Nodding his head, Russ shifted positions to a more comfortable posture. "I don't need or want to know. Her father is a jerk and I don't want anything to do with him. He can blow all the hot air he wants. I know what I am and so do you guys. And I do not want to become involved. Not yet. Maybe not ever."

Ryoko and Tenchi both facefaulted at hearing what he had to say. "I can't believe it. Why?" Tenchi demanded.

"Look who's talking," Russ retorted, becoming peeved. "You've got no room to say anything, lover boy. How long did it take you to become involved? Hmmm?"

Tenchi looked nervously over at Ryoko, who looked a little hurt. "It took me a long time to finally realize what I've been missing out on. I don't want anybody else to go through that."

"It's my choice and my life. I live it how I want," Russ said, glaring at the two of them. "I do not want a girlfriend. Maybe when I'm a hundred and ten, but not now."

"Russ, come on. You're being ridiculous. You're worse than I was," Tenchi said, folding his arms over his chest. "I didn't want to hurt either of them. In the end, it was Ryoko who finally made me realize who I wanted."

Russ rolled his eyes. "Whatever. If you find Aeka, do whatever you have to do to cheer her up, but don't say anything like, 'It'll be okay. Russ will still be waiting for you.' or something along those lines. She's a princess and I'm nothing. And even though I treat her normally and as a friend, I haven't forgotten that she IS royalty. What do you think would happen if she married me and had to come back here to perform her duties?"

"Things like that only matter to the king, Russ. Not everybody else," Azaka said from behind Ryoko. He sidestepped a little and brought himself into full view. "What the king says and what she wants are two entirely different things. Do you really want to hurt her feelings? Are you so stubborn that you won't even open yourself to any kind of relationship? I don't get it."

Russ sighed to himself. "Give me a break you guys. So what you're saying is that I should become involved, even though I myself do not want to, just to make someone else happy? That's going a little too far in my book."

"What irks me is the fact that you won't even try it!" Ryoko growled. "She's such a wonderful person and you just slammed the door in her face before she even got her foot in it. It's amazing that she's still pursuing you."

"I wish she didn't," Russ replied. "I like being friends. I do things for others because they're my friends. What's so great about a relationship anyway?"

"You have no idea because you've never tried it," Kamidake said, making his presence known. "You have no idea what you're missing, especially with a beautiful, wonderful, and talented person like Aeka."

"That's probably true. But the answer is still going to be no," Russ answered, standing up with great effort. "Now, if you don't mind, I have to get back to exercising."

"I'd rather have you come with us. You said you were a friend to her, right? And she needs a friend right now. Would you please come with us and help us find her?" Tenchi asked, grabbing Russ's arm as he turned to walk away.

Russ stopped and turned toward them, looking at all four of their faces, which all read the same thing. Rolling his eyes once more, he growled a few rude phrases to himself in his native language and turned the gravity machine off.

"Fine, let's get this over with."

"Thanks Russ. It'll really mean a lot to both her and us, and it'll prove to her father that you really do care."

Russ ignored him as he followed Tenchi down the path, trying to find Aeka.

Sometime later and back onboard the Star Destroyer, Tom and his crew were still hustling about, prepping the Escort Transports for departure, which would allow the other half of his crew to join in the festivities. Fuel hoses were brought out and connected to the massive fuel reservoir on the transports, cleaning and maintenance droids scooted around inside the massive hold, checking and re-checking all the necessary systems for problems, and the pilots were in the process of putting on their flight suits.

Tom held up a roster and made an announcement over the ship's communication system that the second group was to report to the hanger bay for departure. The remainder of the crew was to remain onboard and keep the ship running properly, and to basically remain on standby just in case something happened.

Returning to the bridge, Tom sat down in the captain's chair, and let out a huge sigh. Yesterday was quite an adventure for him. He had never seen so many games or different varieties of technology that was for sale during the festival. It reminded him exactly of Christmas… but in the month of July. A particular pale-faced girl remained on duty, and she elected to not go down to the planet for some unknown reason.

"Is something bothering you, Sakuya? You're free to go down and visit the planet. Please go and enjoy yourself. Engel here can take care of your duties just for today," Tom invited, hoping to get her to take a vacation.

She shook her head slowly. "No thank you. I'm fine here. There are some other things that I want to take care of."

"Come on. Something is bothering you. What's wrong? You look depressed," Tom pressed, wondering why she refused to budge from her seat.

Turning toward him, she looked at him with sad, green eyes. Her pale face showed nothing but depression and sadness, but her voice remained calm and steady. "It's okay. I just need to keep busy and I won't think about it, sir."

Scratching his head a moment, Tom became thoughtful. "I've never seen you like this before, Sakuya. It all started when we picked up Russ and his friends. Since then, you've acted kind of weird. I thought it was only a fluke and that you were having an off day. Would you please tell me what's wrong so we can maybe find a solution?"

Sakuya's eyes widened slightly at the mention of Russ's friends. She instantly thought of Tenchi. An image of him popped up in her mind, but was replaced by another one of Ryoko draping her arms around him. Ryoko looked at her and gave a sadistic little smile, and she could almost hear her chuckling to herself.

"Sakuya? Hey, come on now. Look, if I take you down there myself, would you go? Please?" Tom asked, seeing her changing expressions. She snapped out of it a moment later.

Once again shaking her head, she declined his invitation. "No thank you. I'd rather remain here. Fairs or festivals never really appealed to me. I don't like huge crowds of people."

Tom shook his head and sighed. "If that is what makes you happy, then you can stay."

"Thank you, sir."

Smiling, he shook his head. "Don't worry about it."

A small explosion flashed out of the corner of Tom's eye, and he quickly turned toward it, squinting at something outside of the windows.

"Did you see that? Give me a status report on what's going on out there," he ordered, standing up and trying to get a better view.

"Scanning," Sakuya responded. "Sir, it appears that a small shuttlecraft is out of control, and is being chased by a couple Galaxy Police. I think the shuttle is trying to get away from them. They're heading this way. They're being very reckless."

"I see. Well, if they come this way, we'll lend our assistance," he said, sitting down at his chair and keying a few commands on the armrest. He turned on the communications system once more.

"Attention. This is the captain. We're going to yellow alert. All gunners are to proceed to your designated turrets. Arm all ion cannons and arm all tractor beams. There is a shuttlecraft that is evading the Galaxy Police. If they come within range, open fire with ion cannons only. We only want to disable them, not destroy them."

A warning klaxon sounded and the warning lights around the entire warship flashed yellow. A few more moments later, Tom could see most of the turrets begin rotating from the bridge. Quickly diverting power from the engines to the weapons, all sixty ion cannons began charging up. It didn't take long, and the shields were brought up. The transports that were supposed to be leaving were still waiting in the hanger bay, ready to depart.

Watching the shuttle on a monitor, he could see that whoever was piloting it wasn't very good, or he was just completely out of his mind. Narrowly missing other vessels in its flight path, it continually dodged side to side, up and down, and basically all over the place, trying to evade the GP fighters that followed it. Every few moments he could see weapons fire from the GP, but they continually managed to miss the small and agile shuttle.

It continued to approach the Gray Wolf, but the pilot made a few critical errors. Nicking one vessel that was parked in orbit, he spun out of control and slammed into another Jurai Warship, which was parked two or three kilometers in front of Tom. If it weren't for the shields on that craft, it would've been completely annihilated. However, the Jurian Warship wasn't so lucky. A small explosion erupted from the point of impact, and as a result, knocked it out of stationary orbit. Slowly, it began to fall toward the planet surface.

"Jesus Christ! If that ship hits the planet, hundreds of people could be killed! Broadcast a message to the Jurians now! Tell them to get their ground based defenses up or something so they can blow it up before it hits the ground!" Tom shouted, directing his communications officer.

The small shuttle entered firing range, and hundreds of blue bolts of energy began streaking from the turrets mounted on the warship. Over three quarters of them impacted the shuttle, and it quickly shut itself down and began to drift, letting the momentum of its erratic course continue to move it forward. A moment later, several tractor beams locked onto the ship and held it in place. The GP fighters surrounded the derelict vessel, and one docked with it.

"Great, we got them. Did Jurai acknowledge the message or what?"

"Yes sir, but they don't have any ground based defenses! They always relied on their ships or some other kind of airborne assault weaponry! And all of that is currently disabled!"

"Oh my god. I hope someone does something or hundreds of people are going to meet a very gruesome demise."

Sitting on the palace steps, Misaki, Funaho, Aeka, Russ, Tenchi, Ryoko, Azaka, and Kamidake all sat quietly, not saying much of anything to anybody. It was quite a contrast to the bustling activity on the streets of Jurai, where the Startica festival resumed in full force. People were smiling, laughing, and completely enjoying themselves and the company of their friends, as they walked from booth to booth, or shopped at the various stores.

Aeka's eyes were red from crying, and she sat silently with her head down, despite Ryoko and Tenchi's attempts to make her feel better. Russ sat at the foot of the steps, his chin resting in the palm of his hand with his elbow resting on his knee, resembling the statue of The Great Thinker. He too remained as silent as Aeka, lost in thought.

"Aeka dear? Your father didn't mean what he said. He was simply in a bad mood and he unfortunately took it out on you. We… discussed it with him, so I don't think there is going to be any more problems," Misaki said, squeezing her daughter's tense shoulder. "There is no need to be sad anymore. You came here to enjoy yourself, so do it. Don't let anything your father says bother you."

Aeka slowly lifted her head and looked into her mother's caring eyes. Her cheeks were still wet from weeping. "I know, but he does it so often. How can anyone not be hurt after going through something like that?"

"I understand, Aeka. But it's okay. Everything is just fine now. Would you please enjoy your last day before you have to go home? I know you guys are planning on leaving this evening, and I'd really hate for you guys to leave in a bad mood, or have some other event make you not want to come back next year. I'd never forgive myself if that happened," Misaki said to Aeka, pulling her into a tight embrace.

Aeka finally cracked a smile, as if a tremendous burden was lifted from her shoulders. "I'm okay now, mom. Thank you for everything. I love you. You're the best mom anyone could have."

Misaki blushed slightly and crushed her daughter in one of her famous bear hugs. "That means so much to me to her you say that. I love you too, Aeka."

"We all love you as well, Aeka. You're a part of our family, and I wouldn't have it any other way," Tenchi said, grasping her hand and giving it a tender squeeze.

Ryoko smiled and nodded her head. "I feel the same way. You've become like a sister to me. Your happiness means as much to me as my own."

Aeka's eyes widened at hearing this revelation, and she smiled, letting a few more tears stream from her eyes. "Thank you… all of you. For everything."

Out of nowhere, an alarm began wailing in the distance, and several more joined it a moment later. Russ's head snapped up from his daydream and looked around, then back at Misaki.

"What's going on? What is that?"

"That's the air raid siren. But why is it going off right now? There aren't supposed to be any tests for another three days."

Sasami ran out of the palace, and she looked extremely worried as she approached the group.

"Mom! Thank goodness I found you. A ship was knocked out of orbit and it's falling toward the planet! It's going to crash into this general vicinity! We have to take cover!" she shouted, now pulling on Misaki's arm.

"What?! What about the anti air defense grid? Why aren't they trying to blow it up?" Misaki demanded, standing up and looking down at her daughter.

"All of that has been disabled for the Startica festival! They turn it off because there was so much traffic and they were worried about the automated defenses firing on suspicious vessels! Come on, mom! We have to take cover now!" Sasami shouted in panic, continuing to drag her mother to the door.

"Where is the ship?" Russ asked, looking skyward.

"It's supposed to be right above us," Sasami said, looking up.

Everybody else turned his or her eyes to the sky and searched for the falling warship. Sasami gasped and began pointing toward a glowing red dot in the air.

"There it is! I can see it!" she yelled, allowing more panic and fear to enter her voice.

Russ also noticed the falling vessel, and he clenched his fists. "Does that ship have a crew onboard?"

"Only a skeleton crew. Just enough to run the ship," Misaki told him.

"Then why aren't they trying to regain control?"

"There must be something wrong with the engines, otherwise they probably would've been able to. We're going to have to destroy that ship. There isn't anything else we can do."

Russ looked back toward the group and smiled. "I've got this one covered."

Everybody turned and watched him stand up, sprint about ten feet away from the group and leap into the air, a green fireball of ki exploding around his body. He rocketed off into the sky being followed by a green vapor trail, marking his flight path.

Flying at near top speed, the ground below him got incredibly small, but the falling vessel got quite large really fast. Stopping himself in mid-air, he began flying backwards as the ship caught up to him. Getting directly in the ship's flight path, he pressed his hands to the hull and began to try to slow the vessel down.

"OOOOOWWWWW!" he screamed, quickly withdrawing his hands and blowing air on his smoking palms. "That thing is damn HOT!"

Looking back at the ship, he encased his hands in a shield of ki, and once again placed both his hands on the hull. Pressing with incredible strength, he began to slow the ship's fall. He didn't use all of his force, since he knew he couldn't stop the ship instantly or everybody inside would be killed. It would be like slamming into the ground.

Gradually applying more and more force, he finally reached a level of resistance to slow the ship down fast enough to keep from smashing into the ground, but not kill everybody inside. It felt like three times earth's normal gravity inside the ship, and nearly everybody was pressed to the floor, unable to stand and move around.

"He's crazy! What is he doing?" Misaki yelled, looking at the red dot begin to grow larger and larger. "He couldn't possibly be strong enough to hold up a ship of that size!"

"Believe me," Tenchi began. "He is way more than capable of doing what he's doing."

Misaki just shook her head. "Unreal. And we could actually SEE his energy! I've never seen anything like that before either."

"My energy is blue, your highness," Azaka said, tapping his staff on the ground. "All my energy blasts are blue that I shoot."

"Mine are all red," Kamidake added, standing next to his friend. "But I don't think it really matters what color it is. I've never seen someone charge up and fly like that before."

"He also has a transformation that we haven't seen yet," Washu said, stepping out of the palace and drawing a bunch of curious stares. "He says he's something called a Super Saiyan. I have yet to know what that means, but apparently it is some sort of transformation he's capable of."

"What does it do? Do you have any idea, Washu?" Misaki inquired.

"My only guess is that it makes him stronger, or gives him access to his maximum power. He had given me a scouter a few weeks ago, and I measured everybody with it. What the scouter does is takes a measurement of your life energy and gives it a number. The higher the number, the more power you have. However, some are capable of hiding it from scouters or other energy detectors, like him," Washu explained.

"What was his number in comparison to one of you?" the empress asked, genuinely curious. However, she kept her eye on the growing red dot in the sky. It almost started looking like a ship at this time.

"Ryoko came in at about two thousand, which is really impressive, even since she didn't have all her gems." Washu stopped and let that sink in, letting everybody get a little anxious as she put on her most serious look. "Russ came in at over four million, seven hundred thousand. That was over two weeks ago, and since then, I think he's gotten much stronger. And not only that, that's only his BASE power level. He has several abilities to increase it many times above that. He used some technique called a Kaioken attack at a multiple of three, and his power rocketed to over twelve million."

Misaki stared at her in disbelief. "That's not possible. You mean to tell me that he's…" she paused a moment, working the math out in her head. "…Over two thousand, three hundred, fifty times more powerful than RYOKO?!" Breathing heavily, she tried to let this sink in.

Having horrid flashbacks of Ryoko's original attack on Jurai and the massive destruction she caused, led her to believe that the number was a fluke. "That number can't be right. It's just not possible. Ryoko was the most destructive force we ever encountered at the time. Um… no offense, Ryoko."

"None taken," the space pirate answered, a slight hint of pride in her voice. Pride not because of what she did, but because she was considered very strong.

"Believe me, it is very possible. He's radically powerful, but he manages to hide it easily," Washu continued. "When he did the Kaioken at level 3, I came down with a tremendous headache."

"So what I felt WAS real," Azaka said, aloud. "When I shook his hand on the first day you arrived, I felt it. It was incredibly powerful."

"And that was the tip of the iceberg too," Washu told him. Looking at the sky, she noticed the vessel still continuing its descent. "Look! The ship is still coming down, but it isn't glowing anymore. I hope he's okay. He's trying to slow the ship down without killing everybody inside."

"Slow down, you piece of crap!" Russ shouted at the spaceship, which was no longer glowing red hot. He since then placed his bare hands on the hull and continued to apply a tremendous amount of force, and continually slowed the ship.

Suddenly realizing that he miscalculated his descent velocity and how much distance he really needed to stop the ship, he applied more pressure to the hull. Not straining or stressing in the least, he watched the ship carefully, making sure no parts or pieces fell off of it.

However, several cracks began to form around his hands, and they began to snake around the outer hull of the ship.

Russ's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets. "OH CRAP! Too much pressure! Come on, baby. Hold together for me now!" he encouraged, continually applying a tremendous amount of force to the already overstressed hull of the ship, moving his hands to a different position. "Just a little more!"

Now only a mile above the ground, he could see people scurrying around, trying to clear the way of where the ship would impact the ground. However, clearing out enough space for a three hundred, seventy-four meter long ship would take time, and unfortunately, it was something that the people didn't have. Some just stopped in the middle of the street and watched the spectacle, not afraid in the least, or realizing that they may as well see their death coming.

The ship began to shudder and shake violently, as it now was trying to fall to one side or the other, since its center of balance was thrown off by its very slow descent factor.

Finally only about fifty feet above the ground, he finally got the ship to stop in mid-air, just above the palace steps, where everybody continued to watch with awestruck eyes. The massive warship just hovered there, as if it were in operation. It began to tip and fall away from the palace, and everybody could see Russ dart away from the front of the ship to directly under it, and he caught it easily, quickly finding the center of balance. Fortunately, the wood was extremely strong, so it didn't buckle around the single pressure point generated by the saiyan.

Casually holding the ship over his head, he lowered himself and the warship to about ten feet above the ground and slowly began to fly off to the landing pad that was occupied by his Tie Defender. Everybody quickly leapt up from his or her sitting positions and ran to the waiting pad, keeping pace with Russ.

A few short moments later, he hovered over the pad, and he descended to the ground. The concrete around his feet from his point of impact shattered, unable to withstand such a tremendous amount of weight in such a small area. Russ looked down at the two holes and the hundreds of cracks that appeared, and he shook his head.

"Aw man, I forgot about that. Oh well." Leaning back a little, he swung forward and threw the ship some ten feet away from him, where it hit the ground with a thunderous crash.

Finally able to get a closer look at the ship, Russ could see the damage that was done and why it couldn't fly. The shuttle in space had crashed directly outside of an engine exhaust port, where most of the thrust to keep the vessel aloft was generated. It had collapsed in on itself and then exploded, taking the engine with it, and unfortunately, even though the ship had two engines, it could not stay in orbit with just one. Not only that, but the power plant for the ship was in that general vicinity, and when the engine detonated, it knocked out the power plant. The wood around the damaged site was still smoldering, and it looked like a complete wreck. Russ figured that it would probably be docked and in repair for quite a while.

Everybody ran up the steps to the landing pad and got a look at the damaged ship, and at Russ. Misaki continued to stare at him in disbelief, as Russ hadn't even broken a sweat, and he didn't even look like he had worked himself at all.

"You saved the ship and everybody in this general vicinity, Russ," Misaki said, approaching him slowly. "You have my humble thanks and appreciation. That was incredible though. How did you become so powerful?"

Russ blushed. "I'm not that strong. I'm sure Azaka or Kamidake would not have had a problem holding up a ship of this size. The legend had said that they had the power to destroy stars. Isn't that correct?"

Azaka smirked. "That legend was greatly exaggerated. We're strong enough to destroy a small fleet of ships of this size, but not much more than that."

"So Russ, what is this thing I hear about you being called a Super Saiyan? I've heard that was a legend too," Misaki pried, standing in front of him. She looked into his black eyes and tried to see if he'd lie to her.

"Been talking to Washu, I see," he responded, looking over at the red haired super genius, who chuckled and waved her hand, giving her best sadistic smile. "It's simply a transformation that allows me to use my full power. I almost never transform since I don't need to."

"Could you transform so I can see? I'm sure everybody else would like to see it," Misaki pleaded.

Russ smiled and shook his head. "I'm sorry, but it takes a huge amount of energy just to transform. I also don't like transforming all that much. I hate showing it off," he frowned.

"Aw, come on. Please?"

"No."

Misaki frowned again and stood up straight. "If you don't show it to me, I won't have my cooks feed you. How's that for incentive?"

Russ just grinned. "Not good enough, I'm afraid."

Everybody facefaulted, knowing how much Russ could really eat when he was hungry. Misaki just became more determined.

"Okay, if that isn't good enough, how about this. I won't permit you to date or court Aeka in any way, shape, or form, so long as you live," she decreed, thinking that she had him on the ropes. Azaka, Kamidake, Ryoko, and Tenchi all broke out in sweat drops, as they knew that this was probably a huge mistake.

Russ frowned at Misaki. He stared directly into her amethyst eyes, trying to determine her serenity and her confidence. He decided to call her bluff. But, if it wasn't a bluff, then it was what he was hoping for in the first place. Even though Aeka was undoubtedly the perfect match for him, at least as far as he could see, he could not bring himself to say yes.

"I'm sorry. I will not transform, no matter how you threaten me. I do not respond well to any kind of threat, whether it is against my life or something of a lesser cause."

Misaki's eyes widened, and she stared at him in disbelief. "What?" she asked, still unable to comprehend what he just said.

"I said no," he answered, putting on his poker face and giving her an emotionless gaze.

"You'd give up Aeka over simply transforming yourself into a Super Saiyan?"

Russ nodded.

Aeka looked at him in shock, and nearly fainted. She began to tremble slightly, squeezing her hands into fists. She gazed hard into Russ's face, which was still turned toward her mother, who had the same exact expression on her face as Aeka did. She let out a quiet sob, then stopped herself, and continually repeated the same question to herself over and over again.

"Why? I don't understand! Why?" Misaki nearly yelled, letting her temper flare slightly.

"Because I don't want to. Because it's better this way. Because I don't want to see anybody hurt as a result of my actions. Because a relationship is too soon. Do I need to keep going?" Russ asked, standing tall, not faltering to any kind of persuasion.

"But…" Misaki began.

"No. I'm sorry." Russ looked at everybody's saddened faces and they just looked on him with pity and sorrow. "I'm sorry to have invaded your lives and give you this kind of grief. I never wanted or expected this kind of thing. When we get back home, I'll move out and find some other place to live. I'll manage somehow. You guys would probably do better without me around."

Sasami's eyes went wide, and she began crying. Running over to him as fast as she could, she threw her little arms around Russ's waist and buried her face in his shirt. "Please don't go! I'd be so sad if you did! You've been such a great friend to me and I don't want to see you go!"

Russ looked down at the little princess with surprise, and he looked up at the rest of the group once more, taking in each of their expressions.

"Please, Russ. Please stay with us. Everybody has been so much happier since you've been around. You're such a nice man to talk to!" Sasami continued, hugging him tightly. She continued to sob quietly into his clothes, until she felt a hand come down on top of her head, ever so gently. Looking up into Russ's face, she became hopeful, and her eyes sparkled, despite the streaming tears.

Carefully, Russ removed Sasami's arms from around his waist, and he knelt down, looking up into her face. "Do you really want me to stay?"

"I do! Yes I do!" Sasami yelled, desperation in her voice.

"I do too," Aeka added. "Please."

"Me three," Ryoko demanded. "And if you leave, I'll find you and kick your ass," she added. "And I owe you for moving in, as well."

"I think I speak for everybody here when I say that we want you to stay with us," Tenchi said, stepping up to Russ. "We will stop pressuring you about Aeka. Will that be fair enough?"

The Saiyan looked at him with surprise, and he nodded his head. "You got yourself a deal."

Again, Sasami grabbed Russ around the neck in a warm hug, eliciting a chorus of "Aww" from everybody. But there were way too many voices to be just Russ and the group.

Suddenly noticing a massive crowd of people around the platform and several dozen other people who stood near the warship, Russ's face turned blue and he fainted dead away.

Aeka couldn't help but laugh, and she felt happy and contented, and very satisfied that Russ would remain with them. However, she felt an incredible sadness, since she now could see that he had no interest in any kind of everlasting love for her. He was set in his ways, and it was almost too much to bear. But, there was always the possibility of him changing his mind, and that was enough to give her hope. However, she kept her false smile on her visage as the crowd of people swarmed around everybody, congratulating Russ on a job well done.

Back in the Royal Training Room, several hours after the incident with the Jurian Warship, Russ continued his exercises in solitude. Straining under intense gravity, he performed a rigorous routine of sit-ups, handsprings, and other various aerobic exercises. The floor could barely handle the amount of weight pressing down on it, and it continually cracked and creaked under him.

Finally finishing his routine exercises, he began to spar by himself, punching and kicking into the empty space. The sounds created by him echoed around the room, making a considerable amount of extra noise, but it didn't bother him all that much. His stereo system sat nearby, kicking the soundtrack of the Saber Marionette series that Tom had given him earlier. He continued to punch into the air at a rate of speed that couldn't be seen by a normal human, and then he changed over to kicking.

After becoming bored with doing this for a while, he began to fly around the room, sparring against an imaginary foe, as he zanzokened across the room and back again, within the blink of an eye. Several afterimages marked Russ's place as he appeared and vanished again, but they faded into oblivion after a moment.

Salty perspiration continually ran off of his body as a result of pushing himself to his limits. Continually changing styles of fighting, techniques, and other ways of fighting, he finally landed on the floor in the middle of the mat, and then fell over from exhaustion.

He lay there for several minutes, breathing heavily and feeling the cold mat on his stressed body. Rolling onto his back, he stared at the extremely high ceiling and relaxed, listening to the last third of Soshite Itoshiki Omoi from Saber Marionette J.

"You are as strong as Washu says, aren't you?" a voice asked from out of nowhere.

Russ turned his head to the source of the voice and smiled slightly, noting the empress who stood some ten feet away. He nodded an acknowledgement.

"But there was something that you had said yesterday that caught me off guard. You can't form an energy weapon like a sword, can you?"

Russ struggled to sit up, and with great effort, he managed to prop himself up to face Misaki. Reaching over to his stereo, he turned it off. "That's correct. I've tried, but it blows up in my face whenever I do it."

Misaki chuckled. "You're just trying to squeeze a ball and hope it forms into a weapon, right?"

Wearily, Russ nodded again. "Yeah. Is there some sort of other trick to it?"

"Yeah. You have to focus your ki into the weapon. Just squeezing an energy ball will always blow up. Here. Watch me," she said, moving over to the training mat.

She stood about eight feet away from him, and she focused a little of her power into the palm of her hand, where a ball of blue energy began to glow. She squeezed, and a sword about four feet long appeared, humming quietly with radiant energy.

Russ smiled. "Reminds me of a lightsaber out of Starwars," he said.

Misaki looked at him in confusion. "What's Starwars?"

Russ's eyes bulged and he fell over. However, he then remembered that he wasn't talking to an earthling. "Starwars is a movie series back on Earth. It's a science fiction film, but it's wildly entertaining. That massive ship in orbit is based off of the Star Destroyer you see in that movie series."

"I see. And this was a weapon in it?"

"Sort of. The blade was made from energy, but the hilt was a physical item."

Misaki nodded. "We also have our keys that act as a hilt, but some of us can form a blade without it." She then began exercising with her sword, casually performing the swordplay routine that Yosho had taught Tenchi so many times before. The shimmering weapon hummed through the air and around her body in a beautiful and very precise flow of motion, a result of thousands of years of practice. She finished and extinguished her weapon.

"Now, do you understand what I did?"

Russ shook his head. "Could you form the sword once more?"

"Sure."

Again, the blue ball appeared in her hand, and when she squeezed, it formed into the blade once more. However, this time, Russ felt a change in her energy, which he didn't see or feel before. But now he had a pretty good idea of how it worked.

"My turn," he said, dragging himself to his feet, still under a huge amount of gravity. Forming a small green ball of energy in his hand, he squeezed it, and then placed the new power he felt from Misaki into it. The ball flashed and then formed into a very crooked weapon, but it didn't explode.

Misaki chuckled to herself as Russ concentrated very hard, doing his very best to keep the blade in existence. He held it there for a few seconds, and then he released his hand, which extinguished the abomination that could only loosely be called a sword.

"Very good! Try it again, but this time, focus it into a straight line. Remember, with an energy blade, the sword can cut from any angle, unlike traditional weapons which are either one or two faced."

"Yes ma'am," Russ responded, once again allowing his energy to flow into the palm of his hand. Once again he squeezed, applying his newfound technique to his energy, and it formed into a perfectly straight blade, about five feet in length. It hummed quietly, and Russ smiled in satisfaction.

"Swing it around a few times to get the feel of it," Misaki suggested.

Russ slowly brought the sword up and swung it down, and to his surprise, it had a little weight to it. Swinging it in a wide arc in front of him, he brought it back down in a diagonal slash, then across his front once more with a horizontal slash, returning the sword to his right side.

"This is quite amazing and easy too. I'm surprised this thing has some weight to it. I thought it wouldn't have any resistance at all."

"If it didn't have any resistance, it would be harder to control. Once you master it a bit more, you'll probably learn how to remove the weight factor from it, or add more," the empress told him, smiling.

Russ released his hand, allowing the sword to vanish into nothingness. Feeling emboldened a bit, he formed another ball of energy into his palm, this time coloring it blue. He held his hand out in front of him, and squeezed. This time, the ball flashed and produced two blades, each about three feet in length - A perfect staff. It hummed quietly and the glow from the blue blade changed the color of Russ's clothes slightly. Misaki smiled and nodded her head.

"Excellent. You're a quick study."

Russ grinned and released the staff, which vanished. "Thank you. I appreciate you showing me how to do that little trick. It'll be most helpful in my battle against Zorpheus."

Misaki smiled and nodded her head. "You're welcome. Now, it's your turn to teach me something."

Russ looked at her in confusion. "Teach what?"

Misaki grinned. "Did you forget what you told me two days ago?"

Thinking back to the day before yesterday, he quickly ran through the events in his mind and all the confrontations with Misaki. Still coming up blank, he looked at her meekly. "I'm sorry, but I've got a bad memory. What was it that I promised to show you?"

"That dance you did with Tom."

Russ's eyes went wide for an instant, and then he smiled. "I did promise that, didn't I? I had forgotten. I'm sorry about that. Well, sure. Let's get to work. The song that was played was November, by a group called Mythos. I'll see about getting you a copy of the song."

"No need. I already have it," she said, smiling.

Russ nodded. "Okay then, lets get started."

Finally, after another long day of play, the sky finally began to darken once more, signaling the drawing close of the Startica Festival. Everybody was happy and contented, and had greatly enjoyed themselves over the last couple of days. There were no major catastrophes aside from the one Russ averted, so the GP had it easy this year. They were in the process of patrolling around the planet, checking to make sure all the ships that were departing could get out of their confined spaces. Fortunately, all the vessels that parked around the Gray Wolf had departed, so it would be easy for Tom and company to leave the planet.

Back inside the palace throne room, Asuza sat with both his wives, flanked on either side by Azaka and Kamidake, awaiting the last and final arrival from the group who had spent their vacation on Jurai. He was scowling, and had other ideas for both his daughters. However, he kept it to himself, and didn't let either of his wives know about it. It was high time Aeka grasped the duty of being the Crown Princess of Jurai, rather than living with the lowly commoners on a backwater planet such as Earth. He didn't bother dealing with Yosho, since he had made up his mind a long time ago, and he knew that Yosho would stick to it. He was too old to be talked to.

He still recalled the day Yosho left Jurai to hunt the Space Pirate Ryoko. After immense destruction and terror struck into the hearts of the Jurai people, Yosho took it upon himself to leave the planet and chase Ryoko until he either captured or killed her. And for some reason, Asuza knew that he wouldn't return when he departed. Nothing was ever said about it, but it was a gut feeling, and he left it at that. Funaho was really depressed after he left, but she did a remarkable job of hiding it and continuing on with her life. Aeka should take her as an example and buckle down, and accept her duty as the Princess of Jurai. He'd make sure of that this time.

The King of Jurai lost his train of thought when the throne room doors swung open, revealing the entire group of Tenchi, Ryoko, Aeka, Sasami, Washu, Kiyone, Mihoshi, the log Azaka and Kamidake, Ryo-Ohki, Nobuyuki, Yosho, and lastly, Russ. They all made their way down the long, red carpet, and their footsteps echoed around the massive room until they came to a stop in front of the King.

"We're ready to head back home now, Father," Aeka said, bowing her head. "I hope you and mother will be well once we're gone. We had a very nice visit, and we'd like to come back next year."

"Aeka!" he began, in his commanding tone. "I want you to remain here. You've been shirking your duties as the Jurian Princess for long enough! Just how much longer do you plan on ignoring your obligation?"

"I am not ready to be the princess. I do not want to be the princess! I've enjoyed my life back on Earth, and if I could, I'd live that life forever!" she shot back, glaring hard at her father.

"Enough! The finance I have chosen for you is still here, waiting for you," he said, gesturing to a set of curtains.

Everybody turned to stare in the direction the king pointed to, and when the curtains pulled back, Aeka shuddered, and everybody else just stared in amazement.

That pink haired retard stepped out from behind the curtain, his fan in his right hand, and that insufferable laugh of his rang in her ears.

"I take it you remember who I am, Princess? I must say that you look stunning this evening."

"Serio! I thought Tenchi vanquished you! How can you be alive?!" Aeka demanded.

Serio smirked. "That boy could never have defeated me, if it weren't for that tidal wave knocking me off of that platform. But now I have another chance, since Tenchi is now occupied with… someone else," he said, glaring at the two.

"How dare you!" Aeka shouted.

Again, he laughed arrogantly. "Do you really want to go back to that hellhole, instead of remaining here with me? I've got so many ships to offer Jurai, and I can offer you, my darling, even more."

Aeka's eyes went wide and she shuddered violently. "You will do no such thing! My heart is with someone else entirely, even though he hasn't returned it yet."

Russ's face immediately went several shades of crimson, and he swallowed a growing lump in his throat, loudly.

Asuza arose from his chair and glared down at his disobedient daughter. "The challenge will remain the same. You can have your wish, if, and ONLY if, that barbarian can defeat Serio in a duel!"

Letting out a breath, she smiled, but a cold, evil, heartless smile. "I don't think that will be a problem this time, Father."

Aeka turned around and made her way over to Russ, who looked at her curiously. She stopped in front of him, grasped his hand, and looked into his eyes, while her own eyes begged, pleaded, for him to help her. Her face looked desperate, and he knew what she wanted.

"I take it you want me to fight him, Aeka?" Russ asked, looking into her saddened face.

"Please. This is the only way I can remain with Tenchi, you, and his family. I don't want to be anywhere else. I know you do not want to return any kind of love, at least, not yet, but… please help me," she said, unable to say those three little words. "And you did promise me that you'd help me."

Funaho and Misaki both looked at each other, and then nodded their heads. "If Russ defeats Serio, then you may go home with them."

Serio laughed again. "That is what I have to fight this time? He looks even more of a pushover than Tenchi was. At least Tenchi has a higher level of energy than he does."

Russ's fists clenched as he fought to keep his power level from going up, as he was trying to keep it that of a normal human. Looking back down at Aeka, he nodded his head.

"Okay. I'll fight him, since it is your ticket home," Russ said, and then smiled.

"Humph. This is going to be quite easy. He hardly has any power to speak of," Serio said, stepping off of the platform and onto the floor, standing about fifteen feet away from Russ, directly in front of the King. Everybody else quickly stepped off to the side, giving them plenty of room.

Serio looked into Russ's eyes and offered him the same offer he made Tenchi. "Do you wish to concede? That would be a wise decision, even for a stupid idiot like you," he laughed. "But if you fight, I'll make it easy on you. I won't use my maximum power. But you're most likely to be killed anyway."

Russ smirked, as he used his senses to judge his opponents power level. Keeping his poker face on, he didn't give away what he thought.

"You may begin when ready," Russ invited, not taking up any stance at all.

"You're dumber than you look," Serio insulted once more. "Prepare yourself."

Russ just stared at him, waiting for him to make a move. He waited for nearly a minute, and he finally lost his patience. He began tapping his foot impatiently, and then he placed his hands on his hips. As if to prove his point further, he forced a yawn and then folded his arms over his chest.

"This is rather boring," Russ muttered, looking at Serio's pink hair. "Why haven't you made a move? And where in the world did you come up with that cotton candy hairdo anyway?"

Serio looked at him in horror. "What!? Don't you dare insult me, you ignoramus." He clenched his fists and began to power up. His body began to glow red, but there was nothing much more than that. After nearly a minute, he finished, and a brilliant orange sword came into existence in his right hand. Looking at Russ, he smirked.

"Afraid of what you see?"

Russ shook his head. "No. But I've got a deal for you. If I can power up higher than you, will you concede and walk away?"

Serio looked at him in surprise, and then started laughing. "You power up more than me? You've lost your mind."

Russ continued to give him the poker face. "Well? Do you agree?"

Serio extinguished his sword and waved his hand carelessly. "Sure. But I know I have this match won already. I'm not even at my full power."

"Then power up to your maximum. Let's see what you're made of."

Serio glared at him, then did as he was told. Again, red energy outlined his body as he continued to raise his ki higher and higher. Everybody could hear him grunt and strain, as the glow became more intense. A light breeze came from him, and a very slight shaking of the room could be felt. Everybody who could sense a power level was watching Serio, curious as to how high he could go.

It took him nearly three minutes, but when he was done, the glow around his body was enough to change the lighting of the room to a reddish color, and a strong breeze came from him. The king grinned triumphantly, figuring that he had won. But of course, Russ had yet to show anything of his own.

"Ahhh, lets see if you can match this," Serio challenged.

Russ looked at him and judged his power. "Impressive. I'd say you're at about four thousand. Not too shabby."

Serio glared at him. "Power up, you moron. Lets see if you can put up or shut up."

Russ shook his head. "I can't even compliment you without you taking offense to it. Sheesh."

"Stuff it, already. Power up and quit stalling," the king demanded.

Russ glared at him, and clenched his fist. "I hope this building can withstand a heavy earthquake," he said, spreading his feet.

Asuza looked at him curiously, but maintained his glare. Misaki and Funaho looked at each other worriedly, and slowly began to back up.

"You wanted to see me power up. Don't run away now, your highness," Russ called, noticing Misaki continuing to back off. She regarded him with a look of surprise, but she sat down on her throne, next to her husband. "Azaka, Kamidake? Shield them as best you can."

The two knights looked at each other, their foreheads beading in perspiration. Now they'd see what they were originally up against in that training room, and they'd see how much he was really holding back.

Taking in a breath through his teeth and letting it out in a primal howl, Russ began to prep himself for a massive power surge. Tensing every muscle in his body, and taking in another deep breath, his voice continued to echo around the hall, and everybody watched him. Aeka had a slight grin on her face, knowing what he was about to do, and how he was going to blow the socks off her father and that arrogant fop, Serio.

A huge, green fireball exploded around Russ's body, enshrouding him in flames, and blowing every single bystander off of their feet. The wind from his energy was enough to knock paintings off of walls and cause everyone to shield his or her face from the hurricane of dirt and other objects that began flying around the room. The floor under Russ cracked and shattered, causing several chunks of the marble tile to hover in the air and break apart, swirling and mixing in with the other debris. He looked exactly like Vegeta did when the prince powered up to fight Recoome.

Then, the earthquake began. It started only slightly at first, but it continued to intensify, until the floor shook with such ferocity that nobody could keep his or her footing. But Russ didn't stop, despite hearing several people scream in panic. He continued to grunt and strain, pushing his energy level to its maximum.

The king watched Russ through his arms, wondering what kind of freakish person he really was, being able to generate this astronomical amount of power. It was unbelievable. Never, ever, had he expected any one individual to generate enough power to surpass himself, let alone the entire Jurai fleet combined. This man made his own energy seem insignificant, and he was the most powerful man on Jurai.

The king knew he was the most powerful being on the planet. Azaka and Kamidake both knew it too. He didn't need any kind of protection, because nobody was powerful enough to challenge him. However, this man shattered every single expectation that they ever had. And he wasn't even warmed up yet.

Misaki kept her face shielded, and she finally had her question answered. He was overwhelmingly powerful. He went way beyond her expectations, and now she knew why he kept it hidden. It was frightening to be in the presence of such energy. He kept it low to be treated normally, but he could call on his power whenever he needed it, like now.

Azaka and Kamidake did their very best to shield the king and queens, but even they could barely stand up against a force as intense as this. Their forcefield continued to fizzle, and they were able to block only less than half of the junk flying around the room. They both grunted and strained, and as they could sense his energy keep rising, they began to wonder when he'd stop.

After only thirty seconds of powering up, Russ shifted himself into high gear, and doubled his rate of energizing himself, causing a massive shockwave which peeled away more of the floor and began to bring the palace down around him. Bits of the ceiling began to break apart, the flying debris had destroyed the finish of the wood pillars, and the walls were being pelted with the marble chips that continued to swirl around Russ.

The roar of his energy was deafening, and they could barely hear themselves scream. However, they could hear Russ perfectly clear, as he yelled at the top of his voice, straining to take his ki to new heights.

Moments later, which felt like hours to the bystanders, the shaking subsided, the wind died down, but all the debris remained floating in mid-air. The roar of energy was still present, albeit much more quiet, and everybody was finally able to uncover his or her faces.

The entire throne room was blanketed in an eerie green glow, generated by the man who stood directly in the middle of it, his energy still burning brightly around him. Marble and wood chunks still floated lazily around Russ, held up by some unseen force.

His face was frightening. His hair was swirling around and standing up, his clothes flapped in the wind of his energy, and his face spoke words that didn't need to be said. Everybody just sat and stared, except for Aeka.

The palace doors swung open and the throne room became flooded with Jurian guards, who immediately stopped and stared at the spectacle in the middle of the place. They had their weapons at the ready, but they knew just by looking at him that they didn't stand a chance, but they were willing to die for the king anyway, to protect him and to serve him.

Carefully, slowly, Aeka made her way around the debris, and slowly approached Russ, who turned his head toward her, and nodded casually, a slight grin presenting itself. He nodded his head forward, indicating to her to have a look at something.

Turning to what he found so interesting, she couldn't help but smile. Serio was planted into the stairs leading up to Asuza's throne. His body made a perfect imprint of himself in the steps, and they could see him lying there, his eyes looking like corkscrews as he moaned incomprehensible phrases.

"Looks like I win," Russ said, letting out a deep breath and allowing himself to relax. His green ki vanished and all the debris fell to the ground with a loud clatter, sounding like a heavy rain for about two seconds.

Slowly, everybody returned to his or her feet, but everybody continued to stare at the Saiyan in absolute astonishment. King Asuza looked at him in complete horror, and for the first time in his life, his face expressed fear. He looked at the Saiyan as if he were a god, and not some lowly commoner anymore. He realized that he made some major mistakes with him. It was good for his sake that Russ had fair control over his temperament or he could've been killed easily, and nobody could've stopped him. Not even Tsunami or the lighthawk wings.

Misaki and Funaho both looked at him in amazement, and they were unable to think of anything to say. They could sense his energy level and they almost couldn't believe that it was real. It was scary being in the presence of such power.

"I think that I should have you know, that what I just did was only my base power level. That means I wasn't using any energy enhancements. To be perfectly clear, I can go much higher than what you just felt," he said coolly, staring into the Emperor's eyes. "And I'm stronger than I was two weeks ago, when I first met the family."

"That's impossible," he whispered. "He's just too impossible."

Russ heard him. "I assure you, it is very possible. I can destroy this planet and the ENTIRE solar system with the power I possess. But I'm not going to do that," Russ told him, continuing to glare into Asuza's eyes. "I think it's time I give you a little advice, and you better listen to it. Never judge a book by its cover. You misjudged me, big time, and it came to bite you in the rear, in the end. Look at this room." Russ waved his arm around the place, which was utterly destroyed. The floor was cratered around Russ's feet, which completely ruined the marble flooring. The walls were trashed, and every single painting and ornamental item that had been on those walls was obliterated. The wooden pillars were nearly destroyed, and some of them looked like Swiss cheese, as a result of the flying debris passing right through the wood like putty. The ceiling had massive chunks fall out of it, leaving gaping holes throughout it. All the remaining pieces of debris were scattered throughout the room.

The king looked at his once beautiful room and shuddered. He'd have to condemn the room until it was repaired, but that was insignificant in comparison to what could've been done. Looking back into Russ's eyes, he couldn't find any emotion left in them, and it scared the daylights out of him.

"This room was destroyed simply by me powering up. What do you think would've happened if I focused an attack on you? To put it simply, you would've been annihilated. Oh, and one other bit of advice. Show more respect to those who are your subjects. You were extremely disrespectful to me when we first met. I wanted to kick your butt since the day I met you because you're arrogant, insulting, and in my opinion, a person who is unworthy of remaining the King of Jurai."

Again, the king looked at him with a mixture of surprise and horror. "How dare…"

"Shut up," Russ interrupted him. "This is exactly what I'm talking about. You need a serious attitude adjustment. You could take quite an example from both of your wives, since they are far more respectful than you will probably ever be."

Funaho and Misaki looked at him in surprise and they both realized that he was probably right. They'd have to console the king and find a way to make him more respectable, and a nicer man. Perhaps if he were in the presence of Russ more often...

"I'm sorry about destroying the room," Russ stated flatly. "I hope you get it fixed up sooner or later. But anyway, it's time for us to leave. I appreciate all the hospitality that you extended to everybody and myself." Russ gave a slight bow, and stood up straight, relaxing himself and allowing his power level to fall to that of a normal human once more.

Everybody else dusted their clothes off and stood next to the saiyan, and also bowed.

"I'll see you next year, Mother and Father," Aeka said, standing next to Russ, bowing her head. "I hope you will be well this coming year."

Misaki and Funaho both made their way down to the floor, being careful to sidestep Serio, who was still out cold. They made their way over to the group and they began to say their goodbyes, exchanging hugs and kisses to everybody.

Carefully, stealthily, Russ slipped out of the throne room, being careful to shut the door behind him. However, someone did notice him.

"Aren't you going to say goodbye, Russ?"

Stopping in his tracks, he slowly turned and faced Misaki, who frowned at him. "I'm sorry, but I've never been good at goodbyes," he answered.

"Now is as good as time as any to start." Slowly moving over to Russ, she placed her arms around him and gave him a warm, caring squeeze. "It was nice meeting you, Russ. I hope you come back next year."

Russ stood flabbergasted and he scratched the back of his head, but smiled warmly. "Thank you for having me. It was nice meeting you."

"You were right about your power," she said, drawing a curious look from Russ. "You ARE godlike with that kind of energy. I don't know how you hide it, but I'm glad you're using it to protect Aeka and her family."

"That's what I'm here for."

Misaki smiled. "Take care of Aeka, Russ. I'll be counting on it."

Russ blushed, but nodded his head. "Yes, your highness. I shall do my best."

Misaki hugged Russ once more, giving him a gentle squeeze. However, the sound of another pair of footsteps stomping on the ground became present a second later.

"What are you doing, Mother?!?!"

Turning around, the Empress smiled. "No need to get jealous!" She released Russ and grabbed her daughter in a hug. "I was just saying goodbye."

Russ became several shades of red and had a huge sweat drop on his head. Aeka looked surprised, and then she relaxed, shaking her head.

"Well, it's time to go," Russ said, noting everybody else exiting the condemned throne room. They all made their way over to Russ, and the entire entourage made their way out of the palace to the landing pad, where an assault transport was already waiting for them. Tom stepped out onto the ramp and waved his hand.

"Well, did everybody have a good time?" he asked, as Russ approached.

"Sure did. Are we ready to get underway?"

"Yeah. All your bags and belongings have been loaded already, so we're set to go. And Russ," he said, lowering his voice to a whisper. "What did you do? I've heard a lot of bystanders talking about an earthquake. Did you power up or something?"

Russ gave him a grin that told him exactly what he needed to know. Tom grinned in amusement.

"Well, everybody, hop onboard and we'll get ourselves out of here," Russ said, gesturing to the ramp way, and everybody made their way into the hold of the ship. Misaki and Funaho both remained at the edge of the landing pad, waving their hands and having tears in their eyes.

"Bye everyone!" Misaki yelled as the door sealed itself.

Russ turned and waved one last time, as he climbed into his fighter and started it up. Sealing the hatch behind him, he sat in the leather seat and sighed deeply.

The roar of the ATR became extremely loud as a lot of dust and dirt came out from under it, and it slowly lifted itself off into the air. Russ's Tie Defender lifted off as well, the landing gear retracting back into the body of the fighter, and he moved forward, flying over the heads of both the empresses, and then swinging around to follow the ATR, which had already begun its accent.

Remaining on the pad, the mother of Aeka and Sasami, and the mother of Yosho both continued to wave, until both ships vanished from sight. They looked at each other and smiled.

"We're going to have to go visit them sometime soon, since they came to visit us," Funaho said, wiping away a tear.

"I think that's a great idea. But, how will we get there? It would require almost a month of vacation time to go."

Funaho thought a moment, then nodded her head. "I think it would be worth it, don't you?"

"Yes. Yes indeed," Misaki responded, clasping her hands together.

Turning back toward the palace, both the empresses of Jurai made their way to the air traffic control room, and they sat down at one of the available terminals, drawing a bunch of curious and worried looks from the various staff members. It wasn't often that they had the opportunity to even see the rulers of the planet, let alone be in the same room with them. They watched them punch a few keys, and they brought up an image of the Star Destroyer in orbit. They zoomed in on it, and they watched both the ATR and Russ's fighter both enter the hanger bay of the massive warship.

"That thing is huge, sis. This is the first time I've seen it," Misaki whispered.

"Me too. What kind of ship is that?"

Thinking a moment, her eyes lit up. "Russ had said that the ship was based off of a movie called Starwars, back on Earth. I think it's called a Star Destroyer."

Again, several other staff members chuckled, thinking that was a ridiculous name for a ship class.

"We're going to have to find a copy of that movie and see it for ourselves," Funaho declared. But she silenced herself when the massive warship began to turn and move away from the planet. "Well, it looks like they're getting underway."

They both watched the huge ISD move a little distance away from the planet, which happened to be the end of the planetary system, and it stopped in place for a few moments. Several GP vessels began to approach the ship, thinking that something had gone wrong. However, a moment later, a bright flash from its engines and a streak of light later, the ship raced out of the star system in less than a second, and then it vanished from sight as it entered hyperspace.

Both Misaki and Funaho looked at their screen, which was trying to track the ship, but it was gone.

"That thing must be going so fast that our sensors can't detect it," Misaki said, punching a few more keys on the console.

"They did say that it can get from here to Earth in about twelve hours. I'd say that's moving pretty darn fast. I don't even think the checkpoint even realized that a ship had flown right through it with them moving at that rate of speed."

Misaki nodded. "Well, lets go back to the throne room. We should help with the cleanup."

"Right as always. We've got our work cut out for us this time."

Both empresses laughed as they left the terminal and made their way back to the great hall.

Onboard the Star Destroyer, the first thing Russ did was head off to his quarters and went to sleep, even before he fell over and hit the bed. Aeka and Sasami watched him crash-land onto the mattress, and they both giggled.

"He completely wears himself out every single day. I don't know how he handles himself like that," Aeka whispered.

"I know. He's so strong though."

Aeka nodded, undressing herself, preparing to get into her nightgown. "But, he does have the right idea. We may as well go to sleep and be rested for when we get back home. There isn't a whole lot to do onboard a starship."

"There are plenty of things to do on this ship though. But I am tired. We'll probably still have a few hours to do stuff when we wake up, since I doubt we could sleep twelve hours."

"I know Russ can," Aeka giggled.

Sasami smiled. "I can always order a can of whipped cream from the replicator," she cackled evilly.

"Sasami! You promised that you wouldn't pull any pranks on each other during this trip, and I expect you to hold to it." Aeka glared down at her sister, as she wrapped her gown over her slender body and tightened the obi. "Besides, if you do, he'll probably go berserk, and I won't stop him either," she added.

Sasami looked worried for a moment, but she nodded her head. "Yeah, you're probably right. I'd probably wake up on the hull of the ship or something, knowing what kind of pranks he likes to play."

Both Aeka and Sasami tossed back the covers to their futons, and they both lay down, pulling the comforter up to their necks. They both let out a yawn at the exact same time and stretched themselves, allowing their bodies to relax for a nice and restful slumber.

"Aeka?"

"Yes?"

"Are you… still upset over what father tried to do today?" Sasami asked, worried for her sister.

Aeka looked at the gray ceiling and sighed, closing her eyes slowly and re-opening them. "I just don't understand why father feels he must interfere in these things. All he ever manages to do is make me upset, and make everybody else around him upset too."

Sasami rolled over onto her side, so she could see her sister. "Well, you know what mom thinks, right?"

Aeka shook her head. "No. Actually I'm not sure what she thinks about the whole thing. I know she got upset with father, but he continually tried to prove a point. I know that I've been lax in my duties as the first princess, but why must he force me to chose someone that would benefit the empire, but make me miserable?" Sighing deeply, she continued. "But anyway, you're a little young to understand such things. Not yet, anyway."

Sasami grunted, her face becoming cross. "I may be little, but I do understand some of it. But what you don't know is how much mother really wants to see you and Russ get together. She knows the relationship between you and Tenchi has been resolved to friendship, and she knows that Russ is completely available, and is the same age as you. Mother doesn't care about what father thinks. She wants you to be happy, and that's all that matters to her."

Aeka let out a tiny gasp, and then rolled onto her side, facing the little princess. "Are you sure, Sasami? Did mother tell you this?"

"Yes. She wants to see you happy more than anything, and so do I. I really like Russ. He's like a big brother to me. He's always sweet and kind, and a little mischievous like me," Sasami giggled. "But he's stubborn too. But anyway, I'm glad he's staying with us. That makes me very happy."

"Me too, Sasami. He's so much like Tenchi, but a lot more easy-going. Tenchi was always uptight and very strict, and at times, quick to anger. He always got mad at Ryoko and myself whenever we'd get into a fight, whether it be over him or not. Russ, on the other hand, seems to take it in stride, as a way of life. He just minds his own business. I think I like that about him more than the strictness with Tenchi."

"I see you noticed that too. Tenchi hardly ever had time to do things with me or anybody else, since he was always busy doing chores around the house. Russ has actually taken time out of his training when he saw me playing by myself to play a game with me," Sasami described, remembering a game of catch that was played about a week ago.

"You're right. Tenchi really hadn't done much of anything with us, in terms of enjoying ourselves and having fun. For the most part, he only got involved when one of us was in trouble. He'd always come to rescue us," Aeka sighed, remembering how he risked his life to save her from the Kagato that impersonated Yosho. "But Russ would do the same thing, wouldn't he?"

Sasami smiled. "He already is. He's here to protect us."

Aeka thought a moment and smiled. "You're right. He is here to save all of us, isn't he?"

Nodding her head, Sasami yawned and stretched herself under her blanket. "He also comforted me when I had that bad dream back on Jurai."

"That's right! You never told me what it was about, did you?" Aeka asked, becoming concerned.

"No. It was really scary, and I don't know why I dreamt it. It was about Kain," Sasami said, her voice almost a whisper.

Looking at her sister in surprise, she reached out from under her blanket, took Sasami's hand, and gave it a gentle squeeze. "It was only a dream. Kain is dead. We killed him, remember? We used Washu's Dimensional Cannon and blew him away," Aeka said quietly. "He won't ever bother us again."

"Yeah, you're right, but it was still creepy. Russ woke up and made me feel a lot better. I'm glad he was there with me when I had that dream."

Aeka smiled. "I'm glad too, Sasami," she said, rolling onto her back once more, getting herself more comfortable. "Let's get some sleep."

"Yeah. Goodnight, Aeka. I love you."

"I love you too, Sasami. Goodnight."

"Come on, Ryoko! Don't you ever give up?"

"But Tenchiiiiii!!"

"You're being ridiculous, now cut it out, okay? I'm too tired to do that again."

"You're such a spoiled sport!"

"I am not!"

"Are too!"

"Am NOT!"

"Yes you are. You don't want to, because you know you'll lose."

"Ryoko, we've played five games already. Give it up! You'll never defeat me at chess."

Both Tenchi and Ryoko were hunched over a traditional chessboard, with Tenchi's black army giving Ryoko's white pieces a good trouncing. Ryoko's defensive line lay in ruins, and nearly all of her pieces were sitting off to the side, having been taken by Tenchi. Only about a quarter of Tenchi's pieces sat on Ryoko's side of the board that she had captured, and they were all pawns. Her king was completely surrounded, and Ryoko knew that she had lost.

Ryoko continued to pout, folding her arms over her chest and turning away, an extremely peeved look on her face.

"You must cheat or something. There's no way you could've beaten me this many times without losing once without cheating!" she muttered, still not looking at Tenchi.

Tenchi shook his head and rested his elbow on the table, and rested his chin in his palm. "Grandpa is a good teacher. And I don't cheat. You would've saw me do it if I had."

"Humph!"

"Now who is being a spoiled sport?"

Ryoko turned her nose up at him and repeated her discontentment.

"Come on, Ryoko. We should get some rest. We had a long day today, didn't we?"

"I'm not talking to you."

Tenchi facefaulted. "Aw, give me a break, Ryoko! If you're going to be like this, we won't play anymore."

"Fine! See if I care!" she quipped, phasing out of existence and reappearing some distance away in her evening attire. Or rather, lack thereof.

Tenchi's eyes bulged a moment and a trickle of blood appeared at the edge of his nostril as he turned away. Ryoko frowned at him.

"Don't tell me you're still embarrassed of me, Tenchi."

"It's not that. I'm just still not used to seeing you… naked. I wish you wouldn't do that."

"We're born naked, Tenchi. And we're naked under the covers too. What does it matter anyway? It's just you and me."

Tenchi scratched his head and thought hard, trying to come up with a reasonable answer to her question without provoking her further. However, fatigue mixed with a racing heart did wonders for ruining his concentration, and only one thought came to mind.

Standing up slowly and turning toward Ryoko, he casually made his way across the room, until he stood directly in front of the space pirate. She looked at him curiously, but she was swept off of her feet as Tenchi lifted her into the air and cradled her in his arms, a warm, caring, loving smile on his lips.

"This isn't quite the answer I was looking for, Tenchi."

"Would you…"

Ryoko silenced him by pressing her lips to his, wrapping her arms around his broad shoulders, squeezing him tightly. "But I like it."

"Would you like to… you know… head off to bed now?"

Ryoko smiled widely and she nodded her head. "Anytime, Tenchi. Whether it is day or night. I'm always here for you."

Carrying his beloved to the bedroom, they both slid under the covers, continuing to hold each other close. And, of course, getting ready to do this and that kind of thing.

Ryoko turned out the light with the flick of her wrist, and the sounds of sensual pleasure muffled by the comforter were the only sounds in the room for the night.

Some eight hours later, Russ had woken up in a very cramped and awkward position, as he had fallen out of bed sometime while he was asleep. One of his legs had somehow gotten caught around the bedpost, and it remained in mid-air throughout most of the night. It was ice cold and Russ knew that when the blood started flowing again that he was going to have that creepy feeling all over his leg, and he hated that kind of thing.

Quickly jumping in the sonic shower, he shed his clothes and generated a fresh and clean karate gi, this time coloring it a steel gray. He turned and left his room, noting Aeka and Sasami still asleep on his floor. Cautiously, he exited his room and made his way down the corridor to the lift, where he stepped inside.

"Holodeck one."

The lift quickly sped down its track to his requested level, and it came to a stop a few short moments later. He made his way down the hallway to the holodeck, and he discovered that it was already occupied. Keying a few commands on a nearby console, he identified that the occupants were, surprisingly, Tenchi and Katsuhito. He keyed another command, which opened a comlink with the interior of the room.

"Hey guys, it's me. Mind if I come in?"

"Sure," Katsuhito answered.

The large double doors divided themselves and slid back into the wall with a hiss, revealing a large clearing, covered in grass and surrounded by trees, in much the same scenario as the training grounds back at the Masaki home.

"What are you guys up to?" he asked, as the doors closed behind him and disappeared.

"We're training again. Grandpa insists that I do some catching up, since I haven't practiced for a few days," Tenchi responded, nursing a lump on his head.

Russ grinned. "I hear that. I know what it's like to become rusty after not training. But anyway, mind if I watch?"

"Hey Russ, why don't you train with Tenchi here for a little while? I'd like to see how he fairs against you," Katsuhito invited, lowering his bokken.

Tenchi regarded him with a look of stunned horror. "Grandpa! You know I can't even touch him!"

"Better for practice! If you face someone who is superior to yourself, a lot of times you will progress a lot faster," Katsuhito instructed, tossing Russ the wooden sword.

Russ caught it easily and grinned, swinging it a couple of times to get the feel of it. "Don't worry, I won't be as rough as your grandpa is," Russ grinned evilly, taking up a defensive stance, looking like a samurai warrior.

Tenchi mumbled his discontentment as he hefted his own weapon and taking up the stance Katsuhito had shown him many times before. It was the most effective position for defending against an unknown attack, since it left almost no part of the body venerable.

Russ watched him curiously, and out of nowhere, he released his stance. He stood up straight and looked off to the side somewhere.

"I think we need a bit of music to spice things up a bit. Computer, play Spybreak Short One from The Matrix."

A courtesy beep and a slight pause later, the music began. Russ grinned as he took up a new stance, but drawing a very weird look from both Katsuhito and Tenchi. The music was quite loud, and the two opponents would have to shout at each other in order to hear each other.

"Go!" Russ yelled, charging Tenchi and swinging the bokken in a wide arc, aiming for Tenchi's neck.

He saw it coming and he ducked, and swung his own sword in an upward stroke, missing Russ by a few inches. Russ countered by spinning around and swinging the sword in the same spot once more, keeping time with the music.

This time Tenchi blocked the stroke, and took a swipe at Russ's chest, missing once again and countering a third blow aimed at his neck. However, Russ didn't stop, and he kept up a smooth, steady offense, going with the flow of motion and music, swinging toward Tenchi's neck for a fourth time. By this time, Tenchi was expecting it and he ducked, and then thrust his bokken toward Russ's leg. However, he missed again as Russ casually spun with the blow, and once again brought his sword down in a smooth sweep, and he cracked Tenchi in the back of the neck, causing him to fall over with his face in the dirt.

Tenchi quickly looked up at Russ, who was bringing his sword down for the finishing blow, but Tenchi rolled out of the way as the sword impacted the ground. He regained his footing quickly and began another offense, swinging his sword toward Russ's own neck, which missed as the saiyan ducked and thrust his own sword toward Tenchi's chest, which again impacted, knocking him back a few feet.

Sprinting forward a few steps to catch up to Tenchi, Russ speedily swung his sword at his opponent's leg, smacking it hard and leaving a large welt, and he quickly withdrew the sword, and swung it again at Tenchi's other leg, missing it as Tenchi did a backflip to get away from the persistent saiyan.

Mounting his own offense, Tenchi quickly took a jab at Russ's chest, but Russ rolled with the blow and whacked Tenchi in the ribs with his own bokken. However, Tenchi closed his arm around the sword, but Russ was quick to push him off of it, and resume his intense attack.

Beginning an all new offense, Russ began to swing the sword all over his body, taking jabs and swiping the sword at various parts of Tenchi's body, most of which connected, leaving bruises and welts wherever the sword smacked him. He made an overhead swing, which was blocked, but he continued the flow of motion and spun around, swinging the sword at Tenchi's ribs again, which connected, making Tenchi howl in pain. However, Russ did not stop, and he continued his flow of motion, spinning around again and making his sword impact into Tenchi's leg, knocking him over. Still not finished with his attack, he changed his handle on the sword, now handling it like a knife, and he drove it straight toward Tenchi's head, which narrowly missed as it impacted the ground.

Tenchi rolled away and sprung back to his feet, trying to nurse the fresh injuries and mount an offense against a whirlwind style maneuver by Russ. Blocking nearly every blow that came near him, he desperately tried to find an opening in Russ's offense, but he was moving in such an irregular pattern that it was impossible to tell what he was going to do next. It was so much easier fighting his grandpa, where he'd do the same moves over and over again, even though most of the time he couldn't block them because of his grandfather's superior strength.

Katsuhito watched in amusement, as it looked like more of a dance than a fight from Russ's perspective. He watched how Russ countered nearly every move Tenchi made, which was quite impressive, since Russ wasn't using any of his energy to enhance his speed. Russ watched Tenchi's face and Katsuhito realized that he was able to read what Tenchi was about to do, just by the motion of his eyes or a change in a facial expression. It was quite interesting to watch.

Tenchi, on the other hand, was watching Russ's arms and legs, and not paying any attention to his face, or what he could possibly be thinking. His defense was very sloppy, even sloppier than when he spars with himself. Of course, Russ was performing moves that he had never done himself, and that made it far more difficult to fight against. He realized that he was going to have to show Tenchi some new techniques to improve his fighting ability.

Tenchi once again took a swipe at Russ's leg, which was blocked with a smooth, flowing stroke from his opponents own weapon. However, he stumbled backwards a few more feet when Russ's right hand planted itself square on his chest, knocking the wind out of him.

"Hey, I thought we were only using weapons!" he shouted, gasping for air.

"My hand IS a weapon!" Russ shouted back, continuing his fluid offense and taking a quick jab with the sword at Tenchi's face.

Moving to the side quickly, he swung his sword down at Russ's leg. "It's not a bokken! You're supposed to fight with the sword only!"

Russ lifted his leg over Tenchi's weapon, and he spun around, sweeping his leg against Tenchi's, tripping him. "Your whole body is a weapon! Use it!"

Tenchi quickly sprung back to his feet, blocking an overhead strike from Russ, doing his best to win a quick test of strength. Russ didn't waver, but he released his weapon, allowing it to fly back toward Katsuhito, who was still sitting on a boulder.

Grinning, Tenchi took up an offensive posture, set to attack. "Ready to give up?"

Russ looked at him in amusement and shook his head. "I can fight without a weapon," he stated, placing both of his hands in front of him and preparing for a fight.

Tenchi looked mildly impressed, and he began by swinging his sword at Russ's arm, but he again missed as the saiyan leaned back a bit, letting the blade whip by him. However, he was unable to counter a quick sprint forward by Russ and a punch to his chest, which again sent him to the ground, gasping for air.

He lay on the ground for a moment, stunned, until he saw Russ leap over him, preparing to drive his knee into his chest. Rolling out of the way, Russ impacted the ground and he leapt back to his feet, ready to continue.

Tenchi made a swipe at Russ's leg, but he again moved just out of reach of the sword, and he again sprinted forward, closing the distance between Russ and himself. Sidestepping a fist that was aimed for his head, Tenchi made a move to hit Russ in the head with the bottom of his sword, but he missed, as Russ ducked out of the way just in the nick of time. However, he didn't see the uppercut coming, and he was sent flying back several feet, flat on his back.

Russ leapt into the air, trying to plant an elbow into Tenchi's chest, but he missed when Tenchi just barely rolled out of the way, and he impacted the ground with a heavy thud. Springing back to his feet, he spun around and brought his foot up to Tenchi's head, trying to roundhouse him, but he narrowly missed. However, he continued to spin, and this time made an attempt at a leg sweep, which caught Tenchi off guard, and he again fell over onto his back.

Tenchi quickly returned to his feet, as he knew that lying on the ground was the absolute worst place to be in the middle of a fight. Holding his sword steadily and shaking with the adrenaline rush of battle, he charged at Russ who had just completed his spin and returned to his feet, and he put all of his strength into a thrust for Russ's stomach. However, he missed, as Russ had simply moved to the side, watching him go flying from the momentum of the blow, and he again fell onto the ground.

Once again, Tenchi sprung to his feet, angry determination on his face, and a blank poker face on Russ's. Swinging the sword in an overhead stroke, he missed once again as Russ quickly moved to the side, but he had the wind knocked out of him when Russ's knee smashed into his gut, causing him to double over. He was sent to the ground once again from a double axe-handle planted on his back.

Slowly, Tenchi returned to his feet. His clothes were tattered and dirty, and so was Tenchi. He was breathing heavily and sweating profusely, as he once again hefted his sword, preparing for an attack by Russ. It was time to play the defensive game and wait for Russ to make a mistake.

"Go faster, Tenchi. You're much faster than this," Russ said, beginning a slow flurry of punches, most of which were hitting Tenchi on all parts of his body. He didn't hit hard, but hard enough to leave a small bruise.

Tenchi quickly jumped back, but Russ had leapt forward, and he resumed his punching frenzy. However, this time, Russ hit him considerably less, as Tenchi was dodging at an increased rate of speed.

"Excellent! Go faster, Tenchi! Use your energy! You're still faster than this!" Russ yelled, now adding kicks to his punches, and increasing his own speed a very slight amount.

Tenchi continued to dodge, moving his body faster than he had ever done before, and amazingly, he could feel his energy enhancing his abilities, in much the same way the lighthawk wings had. Thinking quickly, he remembered the words of Tsunami. 'Trust in your own power,' the blue haired goddess had said, while onboard the Tsunami. This must be the energy she was talking about. But he never expected it to enhance his abilities in this way.

Russ continued to punch and kick at a rapid pace, not allowing Tenchi any time to mount an offense, and he kept him moving backward. Even Russ was impressed by how much faster Tenchi was moving. He had already progressed beyond that of any normal human, and he knew Tenchi had even more potential than this.

Deciding to change the game a little bit, he caught Tenchi's sword in his hand, and yanked it away from him. Tossing it away over his head, he continued his onslaught, punching and kicking.

"Time to fight without a weapon! Come on!" Russ encouraged, not letting up in the least.

Tenchi increased his speed far beyond anything he had ever done before. His mind was racing, and he could see everything clearly. Russ never seemed to speed up, but he knew that they were both moving at a phenomenal rate.

"I'm no martial artist! Just a swordsman!" he yelled, dodging another fist aimed for his chest.

Russ caught a punch by Tenchi and threw him over his shoulder, but Tenchi somehow caught himself and regained his balance, and landed on his feet. Russ sprinted forward, and continued punching and kicking in various places, nearly all of which were missing. Deciding to change that, he increased his speed a little more, until about half of his punches and kicks landed.

Fighting at his hardest, Tenchi did his very best to dodge all the blows from Russ. Strangely enough, most of the blows that connected didn't hurt as much as they did before. And he realized that his energy was making him stronger. He felt a tinge of excitement as he continued to fight Russ, dodging at such a high rate of speed and looking for an opening in Russ's defenses.

Seeing one, he brought his foot up toward Russ's chest, but he again missed as Russ had sidestepped it, spun around, and then knocked his other leg out from under him, causing him to trip and fall once more. He regained his footing at stared hard at Russ, but the saiyan was just smiling. The song was drawing to a close, letting Tenchi finally relax as he fell over, breathing heavily.

"I'm extremely impressed, Tenchi. You were moving fast enough to dodge punches that would've sent any normal human flying. Excellent work," Russ said, extending his hand to Tenchi, who was sweating profusely.

Smiling, he grabbed Russ's hand and hauled himself to his feet. His face was dirty and covered in sweat, and his lightweight t-shirt was drenched under the arms and down his back.

"It'll take you some time to get used to using your energy to enhance your own abilities. The stronger you get, the more energy you can have, and you can use that energy in any way, shape, or form you want. If you need to use it to increase your strength, you can. If you need to use it to make yourself go faster, you can do that too. Katsuhito over there knows how to do that, which is why he continually beats you up so easily. But now, since you used your energy for this kind of thing for the first time, you may be a much greater challenge to him the next time you spar," Russ said, glancing over at the master, who smiled and nodded his head. However, Ryoko was sitting next to him, and her eyes were nothing but twinkling stars as she watched Tenchi.

"Tenchiiiiii!" she yelled, flying over to him and crushing him in a hug. "You were amazing!"

Tenchi smiled. "Thank you, Ryoko. How long were you watching?"

"I teleported in some time ago, since I woke up alone. I wanted to go find you," she pouted.

Russ smirked and shook his head, ignoring he rest of the conversation has he made his way over to Katsuhito, who was still relaxing on the boulder.

"He'll be a much greater challenge to you once he learns how to control his energy in this way. How come you never indicated to him that he could do that?" Russ inquired, sitting down on a smaller rock, about a foot away.

"I was waiting for him to discover that power on his own. He already had exhibited some remarkable powers when he fought against the first Kagato, but he still lacks the discipline to control or manipulate it properly."

"That's the point of training him. But you should've at least indicated to him that using his energy is a good thing. Every time I've seen you two train, he does it all on his own, and you use some enhancements of your own to continually defeat him."

Katsuhito grinned. "I know. But now that he knows he has this power, it'll be interesting to see how well he progresses with it."

"True. Well anyway, once you two finish, I'm going to play a game here in the holodeck," he said, standing up and stretching.

"We were just finishing up when you came in. I just wanted to see how well he'd stand up to you. It surprised me that you managed to get him to start using the Jurai power."

Russ nodded. "I call it ki, but it sounds similar. But it seems that your Jurai power relies on some external source."

"Correct. Our trees are directly linked with us, and those are the things that give us power."

"I see. My energy is my own. Nice thing about it is that nothing can cut me off from this power. But I'm sure Washu would be able to figure something out. After all, she is the universes greatest scientific genius!" Russ laughed.

"Yes indeed," Katsuhito answered. "Tenchi!"

Trying to turn his head which had his lips still glued with Ryoko's, he shrugged his shoulders. Katsuhito shook his own head.

"We're done for today. Russ wants to use the holodeck now, so lets get out of here," he said, walking toward the doorway.

Somehow, Tenchi managed to nod his head, despite Ryoko continuing to kiss him and display her affection. Russ turned away, trying to keep from staring.

"Ugh, enough already," he muttered, never thinking that it could be him doing that one of these days. "Computer, access the program Unreal Tournament."

"Affirmative," it answered, as the landscape faded away, and was replaced by three ultra tall buildings, each with platforms and ramps placed all over each of the skyscrapers. None of the buildings were connected, though. Russ, Ryoko, Tenchi, and Katsuhito all stood on the tallest building, on top of the helicopter pad.

"Computer, set game parameters as follows. For mutators, use Instagib, the speed relic, the vengeance relic, and the redemption relic. For bot difficulty, set it to godlike. For bot parameters, load up 'Russ anime set' and use a maximum of sixteen players. Set time limit to ten minutes per round, and set to default maps. Game type is going to be deathmatch."

The computer gave a courtesy beep, and all the weapons, med kits, and powerups vanished from all the buildings. A long, slender weapon appeared in midair next to Russ, and he grabbed it, resting it in his right hand. Three strange looking objects appeared in random places throughout the level. One looked like an hourglass, another looked like a floating skull, and the last one looked like a spiked wheel with an eye in the middle of it.

Tenchi, Ryoko, and Katsuhito all looked around the place in astonishment, wondering where they were. Breaking his kiss with his lover, they both continued to gawk at how high up in the atmosphere they were. Looking down, they couldn't see the ground. It just seemed endless.

"What the heck is this, Russ?" Tenchi asked, still flabbergasted.

Turning toward him, he grinned. "This is based off of an earth videogame called Unreal Tournament. I always had a ton of fun playing it, and you guys don't have a computer, so I wanted to get in a few games before we reach home. Except this is a bit different than playing on a computer with a keyboard. Here, you're actually IN the game, and it creates a whole new dimension of gameplay. It's a ton of fun."

"How is it played?" Ryoko asked, looking interested.

"Well, with the instagib mutator, it's a lot like laser tag. Have you ever played that?"

"No."

"Uhhh," he mumbled. "Well, we take this enhanced shock rifle here," he said, waving the orange weapon around, "and shoot the other player. If you hit them, they explode. Quite messily, I might add. The more you kill, the more points you get. Quite simple. The object of the game is to kill the most while dying the least," Russ explained. "However, I always seem to manage to kill the most, but die the most too," he laughed.

"Sounds like fun," Ryoko said, letting go of Tenchi. "Mind if I play too?"

"Uhm, I suppose. But I recommend you sit this first game out. I have the computer players at maximum difficulty, and since you're a new player, you'd probably get really pissed off real fast going against them. Besides, it'll also give you a chance to see how the game is played."

Ryoko nodded her head. "Okay, whatever you think is best."

"The computer will ignore you, and you can move freely throughout the level. You don't need to worry about falling either. You can just walk anywhere you please."

Tenchi and Ryoko looked at each other, shrugging their shoulders. Katsuhito had left the room a little while ago, unnoticed.

"Well, time to rock and roll," Russ said, moving over to one of the available starting positions. "Computer, add bots."

A loud, booming voice echoed around the arena, as it introduced each of the characters. "Vash the Stampede from Trigun!"

The red-coated man appeared and quickly took up a starting position, holding his rifle at the ready, having the light reflect off of his glasses at just the right angle to make them glow yellow. The computer continued to introduce the characters, and they all took up random starting positions.

"Wolfwood from Trigun! Lina Inverse from The Slayers! Gourry from The Slayers! Amelia from The Slayers! Zelgadis from The Slayers! Xellos from The Slayers! Heero Yui from Gundam Wing! Duo Maxwell from Gundam Wing! Wufei Chang from Gundam Wing! Gene Starwind from Outlaw Star! Spike from Cowboy Bebop! Iria from the movie, Iria! Akito Tenkawa from Martian Successor Nadesico! And lastly, Ryoko Subaru from Martian Sucessor Nadesico!"

Each bot appeared as it was announced, and all the bots took up a random starting position, out of sight from each of the other players. Tenchi looked at all the characters, recognizing about half of them, since he had seen the anime that they had come from. Vash the Stampede was tops on his list, and he became curious as to how the bots were going to perform.

A device appeared over all the bots heads, and another one appeared next to Russ, which he promptly put on. This device was the HUD for the game, and it would indicate everything that he needed to know, and who he killed, or was killed by. The little screen was green, and it varied in color per bot.

Once again, the loud announcer's voice boomed. "Three… Two… One… GO!" And in less than a second, the entire area was washed in orange laser fire, and it wasn't long before Amelia was the first to explode.

"FIRST BLOOD!" the announcer roared, congratulating Gene Starwind for annihilating her. A few seconds later, she reappeared in a different part of the level, and resumed playing, a pouty expression on her face.

Russ was racing down the ramp, looking to get under the landing pad, but he ran into Lina Inverse, and he quickly took aim and fired, vaporizing her and watching the chunks fly. However, Spike came up behind Russ and shot him in the back, causing him to explode in a gory mess.

Tenchi and Ryoko both looked horrified, as it had looked real. However, Russ reappeared in one of the buildings and he sprinted off to go find himself another victim. They simply turned, looked at each other, and facefaulted, leaving their feet straight up in the air.

Quickly running up a ramp way, he approached the top, looked to his right, and spotted Zelgadis. Pulling the trigger before he turned around, he turned him into slag. In less than a second, Spike appeared on a platform across from him, and Russ zapped him too, watching him disintegrate.

"DOUBLE KILL!" the announcer boomed.

Seeing Gene Starwind run around the corner from the helicopter pad ramp way, Russ instantly pulled his trigger again, blasting Gene into slop.

"MULTI KILL!"

Lina Inverse respawned directly in front of Russ, and she fired her rifle, but missed. Russ once again took aim and pulled the trigger, killing her off.

"ULTRA KILL!" the announcer congratulated.

Out of nowhere, Amelia shot Russ in the back, killing him.

"DAMMIT!" Russ roared, after he respawned and nearly getting a monster kill out of the whole thing and going on a killing spree.

He respawned inside the building, and was blasted to bits by Heero Yui, before he even had a chance to take aim. Respawning again, this time on top of the helicopter pad, he was killed off again by Ryoko Subaru.

Tenchi and Ryoko watched him play the game for the entire ten minutes, watching him getting his butt kicked at certain points, and go on a killing spree once. They were both grinning, as they could see Russ get extremely irritated, since he would be killed, sometimes up to five times in a row before he respawned in a room where nobody was around.

"Five… Four… Three… Two… One…" the announcer boomed, signaling the end of the match, and shining a spotlight down on the winner, Russ.

On a nearby monitor for everybody to see, and on all the HUDs in the game, it displayed the results. Number one on the list was Russ, nicknamed Rustball, with sixty-six kills, and of course, maximum deaths, which tallied seventy-nine. Number two was Spike with sixty-one kills, and number three was Gene Starwind, with sixty kills. However, at the very bottom of the list, was Vash the Stampede, with zero kills, and zero deaths.

About ten seconds later, the Morpheus level vanished and replaced itself with the Gothic level, and a new variety of bots appeared, some of them selected from the previous round.

Russ continued playing for another ten minutes, until he became irritated and getting killed at an average of eighty times a round. The level reset back to Morpheus and he jumped over to the tallest building, and saw Tenchi, Ryoko, Aeka, and Sasami all standing around, smiling.

"You're pretty good at that game, Russ," Ryoko congratulated. "Can we play now?"

Russ nodded. "Sure. I'll set up some new parameters for us to play. Sound good?"

"Yeah!" Sasami agreed excitedly.

Russ laughed and entered the parameters to the computer, and once again took up a starting position. However, Russ couldn't help but wonder why Aeka would have a taste for this style of game. She didn't seem like the type at all. Fortunately for them, they were already dressed for action and excitement, and they didn't need to go change clothes.

For the next hour, they continued vaporizing each other, each player turning the other into so much slag. Everybody was laughing and having a good time, especially Aeka, since she had an uncanny ability for shooting Russ in the back. The bot difficulty was set to novice, so it was easy pickings for everybody.

Everyone exited the holodeck, all smiles and laughing warmly, having enjoyed themselves immensely. They had never played a game like it before. It was so action packed and fast paced that it filled them with immense excitement and joy.

Everybody did quite well. Russ came out on top, and Ryoko was in second place. Tenchi got third, Aeka got fourth, and Sasami got fifth. The bots took up the other positions, having been nothing but target practice for the human players. The standings continually repeated itself throughout every single round, except for two, in which Ryoko had fallen a position, and Aeka moved up. It nearly started a fight between the two girls, over who was actually better, but Russ broke it up fairly quickly by vaporizing Aeka and Ryoko, making them respawn in a different part of the level.

Exiting the holodeck, everybody was smiling, and congratulating each other on a job well done.

"Well, did everybody have fun?" Russ asked, wiping off his forehead with a towel. He tossed a clean towel to everybody, so they could wipe themselves off from the exercise.

"I've never had so much fun in my life!" Sasami said excitedly.

Tenchi smiled. "That was a lot of fun. I've never done anything like it before."

Russ turned toward him, grinning. "You've lived an isolated life, haven't you? Judging by your reaction when I started the game, you must've never even heard of Unreal Tournament."

Tenchi just smiled and scratched the back of his head. "I've heard of it, but never seen it. I've heard my friends at school talk about it from time to time."

"I see. Well, I'm glad you all enjoyed yourselves. I did too."

It was at that moment that the deck shook from an intense rumbling sound, which echoed down the corridor and making everybody look around in amazement. Russ became a curious shade of red, and then started laughing.

"Breakfast time!" he said, cheerily.

Everybody facefaulted, then followed Russ to the cafeteria to get something to fill his or her stomachs.

About three hours later, the Imperial Star Destroyer Gray Wolf had exited hyperspace and quickly made its way to planet Earth, sending out a jamming signal so the orbital satellites could not detect and identify his ship.

Tom had come down from the bridge to the hanger bay, shaking everybody's hand once more and giving Russ a warm hug, inviting him to come back sometime soon to chew the fat. As a going away present, Tom had given Russ all three volumes of Saber Marionette J, the boxed set of Saber Marionette J Again, Saber Marionette J to X, and Saber Marionette R, so he could see the whole thing in its entirety.

Everybody's luggage was brought into the bay, and the men had started loading it onto one of the ATRs, but they stopped when Ryoko ordered Ryo-Ohki to transform into a spaceship.

A loud meow and some other weird sound effects later, the crystalline ship hovered just above the floor, nearly touched the ceiling. Tom and his crew stared at the vessel in astonishment, and they grew even more amazed when the entire mountain of luggage vanished from their hands.

Russ couldn't help but laugh, and he told Tom what had happened. Shaking his head and muttering something about getting too old for that kind of thing, he bid them farewell and left the bay, as everybody except Russ was transported onboard.

Climbing onboard his new starfighter, Russ started it up, preparing to follow the cabbit down into the atmosphere.

They were guided out of the hanger bay by the many tractor beams throughout the hold, and they were released when they were clear of the massive starship. However, a galaxy police patrol ship sped their way, and they immediately recognized it as Mitzuki's vessel.

"I see you guys made it home. It's about time. I think I have cobwebs becoming attached to me from lack of activity," she grumbled through the open comlink to Ryo-Ohki.

The Star Destroyer pulled out of orbit and made its way out of the solar system and then entered hyperspace, on its way back home.

"We told you that you could kick back and relax here, didn't we?" Kiyone retorted, flashing her a wicked smile. "We always have plenty to do around here."

"Is that so? Like what? Dusting your ship?" she shot back, a few of her hairs getting out of place.

"Hey! You know I dealt with Kagato before," Mihoshi yelled, getting irritated.

"Oh yes, the great Kagato, defeated by the worlds largest klutz," Mitzuki muttered, glaring at both GP officers.

Kiyone clenched her hands into fists, and began grinding her teeth. "Go home, Mitzuki. Your shift here is over. You are OFFICIALLY relieved of duty, now GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!" she yelled at the very top of her voice.

Everybody who had been onboard Ryo-Ohki had suddenly begun to perspire, and they began to conform to their own little nervous habits. Tenchi began biting his fingernails, Aeka fumbled with her kimono, Ryoko looked off into the other direction, trying to look busy, and the others did various things.

"Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned," Nobuyuki mumbled to himself, and then cracked a slight smile.

Mitzuki looked completely astonished, unable to come up with a suitable retort before the comlink was cut off to her ship.

"DAMMIT! I can't STAND that woman!" Kiyone roared, way beyond the level of pissed off.

"Oh, don't worry about it, Kiyone! She's going back to headquarters and we won't have to look at her for a while, okay?" Mihoshi pleaded, hoping to calm down her partner.

Still seething, she managed to stop grinding her jaw and sit back down on the plush chair, just as Ryo-Ohki sped through the atmosphere. The ship began to shake slightly and the temperature inside increased by nearly ten degrees, and the ground began to take on more and more detail as they approached their home.

Five minutes later, everybody transported off of the cabbitship, and Ryo-Ohki turned back into the cute, cuddly cabbit that everybody loved. Russ landed near the lake and sealed the hatch to the fighter, and made his way over to the group.

"Washu?"

The red haired girl turned around, looking at him with brilliant green eyes. "You need something?"

"Yes please. Do you have a place where I can put my fighter? I don't want it to be seen by anybody," Russ fretted, looking back at the Tie Defender.

"No problem. You can use the subspace garage thingy that Kiyone and Mihoshi used to use before they upgraded to the Yagami," she said, pressing a button on her suddenly present keyboard. A black hole opened up out of nowhere and swallowed up the fighter, and then it resealed itself.

"Okay, great. Now how do I get it back out of there?" Russ asked, looking worried.

Washu handed him a small, one button remote controller. "Just press the button and your fighter will be ejected from subspace. Pure and simple."

"Thanks a lot, Washu. I appreciate it," Russ said, giving a slight bow.

"Think nothing of it. You were very kind to all of us in taking us to Jurai. Anyway, I gave Tom's engineer some new technology, and I think that's going to keep them busy for a while."

Russ grinned. "I'm sure he appreciates that as well."

Washu grinned. "Yes he does. They should have the transporters installed soon. I explained why he was never able to beam through the hull of the ship. As it turns out, he never put any emitters on the outside of the ship. Once he does that, he'll be using the transporters rather than those bulky transports of his."

"Wow, cool. I'm sure he really appreciates that."

Washu smiled and nodded her head.

"Well, what should we do today? We've got the whole day ahead of us, since we fell asleep onboard the ship. Anybody have any ideas?" Russ asked, looking full of energy.

Everybody turned and stared at Russ, as if he were crazy.

"Not everybody had gone to sleep, Russ," Nobuyuki grumbled, his eyes bloodshot from lack of sleep. "But that's exactly what I'm going to do. I got to go to work tomorrow," he said, pushing open the door and walking inside, followed by everybody.

Russ remained outside, looking dejected. He hung his head and made his way over to the lake, preparing to exercise once more. However, before he began, a meowing noise became present from behind him.

Turning around, Russ smiled. "Hi, Ryo-Ohki!" he said, sitting down on the soft grasses and allowing the cabbit to jump onto his lap. "You don't have anything to do either, I take it?"

The little cabbit meowed a no, and rubbed her head on Russ's hand, encouraging him to pet her.

Chuckling quietly, he did, causing her to purr softly. Russ looked up into the sky and sighed. "Man, what's with me anyway? Trouble follows me wherever I go. It really had a stranglehold on me while we were on Jurai. I don't get it," he sighed, scratching under the cabbits chin.

Ryo-Ohki looked up into Russ's eyes, which were downcast and sad.

Russ continued. "But still, I have to keep looking forward. I can't let things like that get me down or I'll go crazy. It's just that things like that happen so darn often," he explained, not realizing that the cabbit understood every single word that he was saying.

Meowing words of encouragement, she managed to get Russ to smile.

"I should stop dragging my feet and forget about that stuff. That's what you're saying, right?"

Ryo-Ohki shook her head, and tried to explain it to him once more, without having much success.

Russ looked at her and thought a moment. "Well, what the hell. Hold still, Ryo-Ohki. I'll try reading your mind. Maybe that way I can understand you."

Gently placing his hand on the cabbits head, he concentrated, letting his mind be flooded with the images and sounds of the little cabbit.

After several moments, he withdrew his hand and smiled. "I still don't get it."

Ryo-Ohki facefaulted and fell off of his lap, meowing something incomprehensible.

"Oh well. Thanks for trying to cheer me up. I guess I'll go relax by those trees or something. It's a beautiful day," Russ said, standing up and making his way over to the edge of the forest, where he found himself a nice, comfortable spot under an oak tree. He set his stereo down on the ground and sat on the soft grasses, between two roots, and he leaned his back against the trunk of the tree. "I may as well enjoy the day for what it is," he said, turning on the stereo and resuming the soundtracks of the Saber Marionette series. He closed his eyes and let his imagination wander. Dozing off a short while later with Ryo-Ohki on his lap, they both dreamt of something pleasant, but they were unsure of what it was.


	14. Nightmares

Ep 14 – Nightmares

You guys are still reading this story?!?! Well, I'm flattered, in that case. Tenchi is copyrighted Pioneer and DBZ is copyrighted by Funimation. I've got a new email address now, which is . Use that from now on to send me questions/comments/friendly criticism/fanmail. My Mediaone address is going bye bye as a result of a cable company merger, but I bought a domain name that can forward email to any account I want. Anyway, enjoy the final chapters of the story. Only about 3 – 5 left to go…

Notice! New Website is available for the Tenchi fans! Come check it out at .net or .net and sign the Guestbook, letting me know you were there. The fanfic will also be posted there, as will it be on the TMFFA, AND on .net. All updates to the story (including progress per chapter) are posted there, and you can find a ton of info regarding Tenchi.

"Now on final approach to planet Xnafu. Estimated time to arrival, twenty minutes. Now initiating wake-up sequence. Wake up, Zorpheus," the computer stated as it released a white gas into the spacepod, breathing life back into the frozen saiyan seated in the soft leather. Raising the temperature up to a steamy ninety degrees Fahrenheit, warming the air in the cockpit, it began its horrid beeping noise, patiently waiting for the resuscitation process to finish.

"Not now, mommy. Just a few more minutes," Zorpheus mumbled incoherently, still groggy from sleeping for three months straight. He stretched himself out, causing nearly every joint in his body to pop from being immobile for so long. Letting out a loud, long, deep groan, he continued to stretch, his arms reaching to the very back of the pod and his legs pressed against the door. Finally taking notice to the beeping, he casually smacked the button on the computer console, turning it off. He let out a huge yawn and rubbed his eyes, just now becoming aware of his surroundings. Noting the bright sunshine that glared at him though the small window, he squinted his eyes to try to get a better look of the outside. A large, violet planet presented itself directly in front of him, and he grinned to himself.

"Computer, what planet is this?"

No response.  
Zorpheus looked at the computer and then remembered that he forgot to turn on the voice commands once again. "Ugh. Stupid defaults. Oh well. I don't care about it this time," he said to himself as he keyed in the necessary instructions.

"Voice commands ready."

"Thank you so much," he answered sarcastically. "What planet is this?"

"This is the planet Xnafu. It currently has one hundred billion inhabitants, all of them Xenomorphs, and they…"

"Yes, yes, yes. That's all very interesting, but I didn't ask for it," he said, interrupting the computer's mindless dribble. "What is the maximum power level on this planet?"

"Maximum scouter detection level stops at twenty million, and the inhabitants of this planet surpass it," it responded. "However, records indicate that the strongest Xenomorph of all had an estimated maximum level of one hundred eighty million."

Zorpheus whistled to himself. "Not bad. Any special techniques and are they considered a hostile race?"

"They have an unnatural rate of speed at which they can move. However, they can only maintain it for less than a second and for very short distances. The Xenomorph race is not considered hostile and is generally peaceful. Their military is extraordinarily powerful and ruthless though, and a confrontation with them is not likely, however, if provoked, they do have the power to destroy a solar system."

"How much time until I touchdown?"

"Approximately one minute. Initiating landing sequence."

"Wow, and I told this thing to wake me up twenty minutes before. I guess waking up out of stasis takes longer than I thought. I'll have to set it for a half hour when I get to Earth, just in case Russ is there," he muttered to himself. "I hope he's not though. I don't want to fight him. I wish he saw things my way."

The small spacepod began to glow red as it screamed into the atmosphere of the planet. A bright red flame erupted around the outer shell of the craft, leaving a long, red streak behind it. Zorpheus began to talk to himself.

"I don't know what Russ's problem was with me becoming immortal or invincible anyway. He basically just said, 'No, and that's final' and then left it at that. No real reason behind it. I hate it when he leaves me guessing like that." Zorpheus let out a sigh and then continued. "I really never wanted to live forever, but I wanted to be invincible for the time that I was alive. I never wanted to worry about being killed in a fight, unlike some people. Too bad he never gave me the opportunity to explain myself. Him and his high 'n mighty attitude and ways… ugh."

The spacepod finally had slowed down enough to stop glowing red, and the green land below him became visible. Luscious green grass and trees, flowers of unusual species and color, and a plethora of other plant life covered the entire landscape, as far as the eye could see. The terrain was mostly flat, except for a few small rolling hills. The sky was a gorgeous shade of violet, which seemed to glow with its own form of energy. Blue clouds were spaced sporadically throughout the sunlit sky, and everything just seemed so… perfect. Hardly any planets looked this wonderful, lively, and healthy. It was like stepping into a brand new dimension, which was untouched by crime, filth, and other unnecessary evils.

Finally, Zorpheus reached the surface, and his pod came to a halt just before smashing into the ground, and then set down gently.

"Scanning atmosphere," his computer informed him.

"Yeah, yeah. Hurry up already. I need to get in some exercise before going to Earth. I've trained a hell of a lot harder than Russ ever has, and I'm way stronger than he was the last time we met about a year ago, even though he still thinks he's stronger. And I'm sure he's working himself to the bone as well, preparing to face me," Zorpheus mumbled, looking out of the window and noticing several dozen creatures run up near the pod, but didn't approach it.

"Atmosphere is equivalent to that of Earth. No poisons detected. Air temperature is seventy-four degrees Fahrenheit. Barometric pressure is at thirty-five atmospheres, which is higher than that of Earth. Equalizing pressure now," the computer quipped. A quiet hissing became apparent, as the pressure equalized on the inside of the pod.

Zorpheus stared at the life forms in surprise. "Weird looking creatures. They almost look like a bunch of Cells, but red in color. Well, at least they're humanoids."

"Releasing hatch, and shutting down," his ship informed him as the latch bolts withdrew, releasing the door. It hummed as it raised itself, letting in the warm, fragrant air and the sounds from outside.

Placing his hand on the armrest, he raised himself up and poked his head out of the door, checking out the surroundings. Several of the creatures gasped in surprise, but continued to watch in stunned silence.

Standing up to his full height, he stretched himself out once more, and then smiled at the creatures. Pulling back his blue hood on his cloak, he shook out his thick saiyan hair.

"Hi guys," he began. "I'm Zorpheus. I'm sorry, but I can't think of a better introduction than that," he laughed. "Which one of you is the leader or ambassador around here?"

The Cells looked at each other and spoke between each other in their native tongue. One of them eyed Zorpheus, and he slowly stepped forward. Zorpheus regarded him with a look of curiosity.

"Hello, traveler. I'm Jordan, of the Xenomorph people. We welcome you to our humble planet. Is there something we can help you with, traveler?"

Zorpheus grinned slightly and folded his hands in front of him. "Just call me Zorpheus, Jordan."

"Very well, Zorpheus," he responded, his voice sounding like he ate a live frog. "From what race of people do you come from?"

"I'm a half human, half saiya-jin hybrid, and I… um… Did I say something wrong?" he asked, noting the horrified stares from all the bystanders. Jordan somehow managed to keep his cool.

"You are a saiya-jin warrior?" he asked worriedly. "Please, don't destroy us. We didn't do anything to you or Frieza. Why have you come here?"

Looking at him in astonishment, Zorpheus started laughing. "Not to worry, my friend. I'm not a part of that Frieza gang or anything. He's been dead for nearly a millennia, Earth time. Goku, also known as Kakarrot, finished him off a long time ago," he told them. "Actually, it was Vegeta's son, Trunks, who dealt the finishing blow. He killed off King Cold too."

Everybody's eyes went wide in bewilderment. "Frieza is dead, and his father too? For over a thousand years?"

"Where have you been?" Zorpheus responded indignantly. "Yes, he's been long dead and forgotten. He was actually quite a pushover. Your strongest warrior was many, many times stronger than he was."

Jordan looked nervously back at the still-growing group of people. "None of us were capable of defeating Frieza, except for our legendary hero, Conqubine."

"I see. Anyway, to get to my point of being here, I'm here to train."

Again, the Xenomorph looked taken aback. "You want to fight us?"

Zorpheus nodded his head enthusiastically. "You got it. I'm not going to kill you or destroy your planet. I just need training partners to fight with."

"I… see."

"The computer records we have of your people and planet are a little dated, but still accurate. You guys should be able to provide me with a very worthy challenge."

Jordan looked hard into Zorpheus's red eyes, judging his power level. "Your power seems rather low, actually. Are you sure you're strong enough to fight some of our best warriors?"

Again, Zorpheus nodded. "Yes."

"Very well. Since I'm certain that you're ready to begin, you can start by fighting me. Prove your worth to me, and then I'll take you to our most prominent warriors," Jordan croaked, clenching his fists. The massive crowd of people took off into the air and flew several miles away, leaving the two to fight unimpeded.

"No offense, but you don't seem very strong either," Zorpheus said, looking hard into Jordan's eyes. "Your energy is quite low."

"I, like you, can hide my true energy. Most of the time I can see past that cloak, but I can't seem to be able to with you."

"Well, let's cut to the chase. Are you ready to begin?"  
Jordan's red energy exploded around him and the ground shattered under his feet. "Yes."

Shielding his face, Zorpheus smiled. He was more powerful than he thought. "Excellent! Now, let me show you my power… the awesome power of the Super Saiyan."

Jordan stopped and stared. "That's only a legend. A fairytale. Super Saiyans aren't real. Frieza always said that."

"Then what…" he growled, clenching his fists. "Would you call…THIS?" Zorpheus yelled, as his hair and eyebrows became golden, his natural eye became a sea green, and his muscle mass doubled in size. His aura of energy shined of gold as it pulsed around him, causing his dark blue cape to flap in the wind of his power. His black body armor was pressed tightly against his chest and legs, and his artificial arm became much more powerful, but not quite as strong as his natural arm. His artificial eye's retina remained red in color.

Jordan looked at him horror. "No… it's not possible," he stuttered. However, he looked again and his horror turned to skepticism. "Why hasn't your other arm grown larger in size, and why is your other eye still red?"

"I had an accident many years ago in which I lost an eye and my arm. These are artificial."

Jordan nodded his head in understanding, but his nervousness returned. "Shall we begin?"

"I think that's a fine idea. Let's go!" Zorpheus shouted.

Light-years across space, something amusing was happening.

"Uhhh…"

"I don't feel any different at all. What about you, Miss Lina?"

Both Lina Inverse and Amelia looked at each other in confusion as they tried to figure out what was going wrong with their spell.

"Don't tell me! Don't tell me that thing just now was it?!" Lina yelled.

"That thing just now wasn't it?" Amelia replied, worriedly.

Zelgadis appeared from behind the coffin where the goofy clothes and spell book was kept. "Uhhh, so do you girls want to try another song?"

"Are you kidding?!" Lina yelled, waving her arms around. "I've had it! Some big ultimate spell of divine holy protection!" She continued to stomp her feet and wave her arms around like a child.

"It's not an ultimate spell of anything," one of the twins, who had chased them around, said.

"They're lost festival dances," the other finished for her sister.

Lina looked at them in horror. "They're FESTIVAL DANCES?"

"Dances and songs to honor the ancient gods," the first twin explained.

"You know? Melodies to summon the holy light 'n stuff," the other finished.

Lina looked like she was about to have a heart attack and die. The monster that had followed them into the room chuckled.

"Oh man, I was wondering what you were trying. What an idiot," he laughed.

On the other side of the room, Lina clenched her fists and began reciting her most infamous spell.

"Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows…" she began.

"Uhhh, Lina?" Zelgadis said, trying to interrupt her.

"…Buried in the stream of time is where your power grows. I pledge myself to conquer…" she continued.

Zelgadis became extremely afraid, as he knew what was coming.

"…All the foes who stand…"

"Hey! You're not gonna…"

"…With the mighty gift bestowed in my unworthy hand! Let the fools who stand before me be destroyed by the power you and I possess!" she screamed, looking psychotic as a red orb glowed between her hands. The room instantly cleared itself as the monster put up a wall of faces to try to keep from being destroyed.

"DRAGOOOOON SLLLLLLLAVE!" she screamed, releasing a huge, ruby red beam of energy into the room. The resulting explosion completely annihilated everything within the blast radius and created a crater about a quarter mile in diameter. Once the smoke had cleared, we could see the devastation. The monster was completely vaporized except for a few remaining chunks that littered the ground. All the bandits were charred and smoking.

"That's no fair…" one of them choked out.

"SHUT UP!" Lina yelled, balling up her fist. "It's a small price to pay for letting you watch me sing!"

"That's Miss Lina for you!" Amelia chimed in, somehow unscathed.

Both Russ and Sasami fell off of the couch laughing at the scene that played out on the TV.

"No kidding that that's Miss Lina for you," Russ laughed, struggling to get back onto the couch. "She's so hilarious and irritating at the same time."

Sasami managed to get back onto the couch as she continued to laugh along with Russ. "I love The Slayers. It's such a funny series!"

"I agree with you there, Sasami. Episode forty is one of my favorites. And this series is actually The Slayers Next, but who cares," Russ managed to say, trying to catch his breath just as Lina's energy flared up around her in a pillar of fire.

"I'LL MAKE YOU FORGET IT! DRAOOOOOOOON SLLLLLLLAVE!" Lina screamed again, resulting in another huge explosion and another round of laughter from the duo on the couch.

Aeka was on the other side of the room watching Russ and her sister enjoy one of their favorite anime. He had been with them for the past three months, and she couldn't have been happier. Always having a warm smile and a caring demeanor about him, she had begun to become more and more attached to him. It was unreal. There had been Tenchi, but he was always divided and indecisive. Russ was firm and very sure of himself, most of the time.

Tenchi was always kind and considerate towards her and always polite, but he never really did anything beyond that. He never took her anywhere, never did anything with her, and had always seemed to be distant. But that could've been because of one of two reasons. Either he couldn't because Ryoko wouldn't let him, or he just wasn't interested. Of course, she always believed the former. She was never able to be alone with him.

Russ, on the other hand, when he wasn't training, would look to spend time with everybody, always looking for something fun and enjoyable to do, or to just sit and talk. He never made any advances, and he did make it clear to her that he wasn't interested, however, on rare occasion, she'd catch him staring at her from a distance. Whenever she'd turn her head toward him, he'd smile, wave, then continue whatever it was he was doing. He was fantastic company when Tenchi and Ryoko had gone on a weeklong trip to the beach. The house was empty and quiet, especially without Tenchi, Ryoko, Mihoshi, and Kiyone. Washu was always locked up in her lab, and Nobuyuki was always gone at work, and her brother was always up at the shrine, only coming down for meals. The only people she could to talk to were Russ, Sasami, and her two guardians. But it was enough. He had cooked for the three of them on several occasions, and he even cut back on his training to keep the two of them company. He took them all to the mall, the movies, and several other places of interest. He was a really fun loving guy, and she could see that he got immense enjoyment out of seeing others smile.

Continuing to watch her sister and Russ on the couch, she smiled. He was so much like a big brother to her, and Sasami loved him for it. He'd sit down and play video games with her, watch anime, take her out for ice cream, and just be her friend. On occasion, he'd wrestle with her, being extremely gentle as to not hurt her. One of the things he loved doing was torturing her sister by ticking her, usually when she'd beat him at a game they were playing. They'd show each other different cooking recipes and taste test each other's dishes. Sometimes when Russ would play the organ, Sasami would sit next to him on the bench and watch him play for hours. Ryo-Ohki loved him too, and all three of them would do activities from time to time. They loved to play pranks on each other. He even began to show her how to use her Jurai Power. However, Russ never showed her any attacks, but rather, taught her how to heal and mend. He argued that such a pretty girl should never have to fight, but should be known as a healer instead. After that, he explained to her how to fly, but she hadn't quite gotten the hang of that yet. As a very special treat, he took her to see the Earth's Guardian, Dende. Somehow, he was still alive, after a millennium of watching the Earth. Apparently being a god had given him quite an extension of life. From what she was told, Dende and Sasami hit it right off and became good friends. Mister Popo was still up there as well, and he wound up mistaking Russ for Goku, as nearly everybody else had. She had asked why they had gone to this place, and Russ told her that it was a secret. However, Sasami had overheard something mentioned about Dragonballs to Popo while she was being taught how to heal by Dende. Korin was still fine and well, and didn't look a day older than he was a thousand years ago. He too had mistaken Russ for Goku. Sasami got a kick out of the cat, but she was very respectful and she quickly made another friend. It was quite a trip for her. Russ really loved Sasami, and it showed.

Unfortunately, there was an aura of depression about Russ too. Sometimes, before he was done training, he'd stop and slowly walk off toward the forest, where he'd jump up into a tree and sit for several hours, looking very lost and deep in thought. He never smiled while he was up in that tree. Other times, he'd just sit by the lake, his chin in his palm, as he watched the ripples of the lake lap the shoreline and the dock. His face would take on a sad expression, and he'd become very quiet. She wondered what was bothering him, and she asked him on several occasions, but he'd always just smile and say nothing was wrong, and that she didn't need to concern herself about him. It made her feel bad, as she wished that she could do something for him to alleviate that sadness. Whenever she'd try to figure him out, she always came back to the same conclusion, and that was loneliness. The only argument she had against that is that he didn't want a partner in life, or in love, but why would he continually subject himself to that kind of torment? Even if being with him put her own life in danger, she was willing to risk it, but he wasn't willing to allow her to. Whenever she had seen him looking at her while she was in the garden or doing something around the house, he was never smiling until she looked at him. It was almost as if he were wishing that she could be his, but something was preventing it. The one quest that she had set out to solve was to find out what that barrier was, and destroy it. However, what was it going to take?

"Hey Russ?"

"What is it, Sasami?" Russ answered, wiping a tear from the corner of his eye from laughing so hard.

"Do you think that your Kamehameha is more powerful than her Dragon Slave?"

Russ looked at her, and then smirked. "I don't know. What do you say we go outside and see?"

Sasami's eyes went wide. "You can cast the Dragon Slave?"

Russ grinned. "Well, not really, but I could probably make a fair approximation of it."

"Oh, that is so cool!"

Russ laughed as he stood up from the couch and grasped the little princess's hand. "Let's give it a try, shall we?"

"You be careful with my sister, Russ!" Aeka called after him. Russ just turned around and gave her a raspberry, sticking out his tongue and pulling his left eye down with his finger. Sasami did the same thing as they both laughed and made their way into the yard while Aeka stared hard after them, growling obscenities at their retreating forms.

"Okay, Sasami. Stand here, just in case something goes wrong," Russ said, seriously, after releasing her hand. "I don't want you getting hurt."

Sasami smiled and nodded her head as Russ walked to the edge of the lake. He looked into the sky, checking for airplanes or any other flying machine that could get barbequed by the beam. Turning around, he gave a thumbs up, and then charged a little of his energy as he recited the lines.

"Darkness beyond twilight, crimson beyond blood that flows, buried in the stream of time is where your power grows. I pledge myself to conquer, all the foes who stand, with the mighty gift bestowed in my unworthy hand…" he chanted, as a huge red ball formed between his hands. His energy exploded around him in a green fireball, as he prepared to release the spell. "…Let the fools who stand before me be destroyed by the power you and I possess!"

Aeka had appeared next to Sasami and watched him in awe. Ryoko was on the roof of the Misaki house, eyeballing him in curiosity, but not paying much attention until his energy shot way up.

"DRAGOOOOON SLLLLLLLLLAVE!" he roared, as he brought his hands in front of him and released an incredibly huge, powerful, blood red beam. It screamed out of his hands and into the sky, blanketing the entire area in an eerie red glow.

However, the attack had an unexpected side effect.

"What the hell?!" he yelled, as he lost his footing and started to fly back from the massive recoil of the beam's launch. Quickly killing off the energy of the attack, he continued to hurtle back toward the house.

"INCOMING!" he screamed, as he sailed past Aeka and Sasami and then crashed into the mountainside, making a small crater in the hard ground. Ryoko could be heard laughing from the roof.

"Oh my god! Russ!" Sasami yelled as she ran toward his point of impact. However, she didn't need to worry, as Russ simply got back up out of the hole he made and smiled.

"That beam has some kick to it," he laughed.

"You IDIOT!" Aeka yelled, balling her hands into fists at her sides. "You should be more careful!"

"Ahhh, nothing to worry about," Russ said, flatly. "I just wasn't expecting that. I better not cast the Gigaslave or I'd be in serious trouble." He started laughing.

"Oooh! You make me so mad sometimes!" Aeka yelled, as she turned and stomped back to the house. Both Russ and Sasami watched her retreating form until she entered the house and slammed the door behind her.

"What's her problem?" Russ asked as he scratched his head.

Sasami smiled. "Don't worry about her. She knows you can take care of yourself."

Russ laughed. "She gets mad too quickly. If she keeps that up, she's going to develop wrinkles."

"I HEARD THAT!" Aeka roared through an open window. It was followed up with another burst of laughing by the space pirate.

"Well anyway, I guess I… should…" he began, but stopped in mid-sentence. Russ's face became a mask of concentration just as Washu burst out of the house and ran toward Sasami and Russ, looking incredibly worried.

"What's wrong, Russ?"

Looking off into the sky, he knew what it was. "I can feel Zorpheus's power. He's become a super saiyan and he's fighting someone or something. However, he's still very, very far away."

Sasami looked worried. "I can't feel anything, Russ. But here comes Washu. Maybe she can tell us what's going on."

Quickly running up to the twosome, Washu took a moment to catch her breath. "Sasami, Russ. We've got a big problem."

"What is it, Washu?" Russ asked, reminding himself not to say something sarcastic, as he didn't really like her all that much, and she knew it too.

"I've detected a subspace tear in the solar system," the red haired genius began to explain.

"So stitch it up or something," Russ said, unable to keep from making a wisecrack.

Washu glared hard at him. "I'm not kidding around here, Russ. This is serious. There is an energy coming through that tear. And I'm afraid it's something we've dealt with before."

Sasami's eyes went wide in horror. "No… it can't be…"

"I'm afraid so, Sasami. We are in serious trouble. Kain has returned."

"Kamehameha!!!!" Zorpheus yelled, releasing the blue beam from his hands, letting it race toward Jordan. However, he vanished from his former position and the beam sailed through his afterimage, and then smashed into the ground, creating a huge explosion and making a massive crater.

"Missed me!" Jordan taunted, as he punched Zorpheus from behind in the kidney, punched him in the lower back, punched him in the back of the head, and then finished off the combo with a double axe handle on the top of Zorpheus's head, sending him to the ground, making a thunderous crash and another crater.

Zorpheus made it back to his feet and looked up at Jordan, who looked about as beat up as he was. Zorpheus's cape was torn to shreds and his body armor was cracked in several places. However, Jordan didn't look any better. His own clothing was torn up, revealing his skin in several places. He looked more and more like a Cell than ever before. If he were green, then he could've passed for Cell.

"That technique of yours is very impressive. It's so fast that it almost circumvents time and space. You seem to appear before you even move in the first place!" Zorpheus said, leaping into the air and rocketing toward Jordan, and beginning a flurry of punches and kicks, all of which were being blocked, dodged, and parried. After a moment, Zorpheus landed a kick to Jordan's stomach, making him double over in pain, and Zorpheus used his other foot to kick him in the face, snapping him back to a standing position. Quickly capitalizing on the situation, Zorpheus began a very high rate of punches to Jordan's face, and then finished off with a roundhouse kick, which sent Jordan to the ground. Zorpheus quickly followed it up with a yellow energy ball, which impacted the spot where Jordan landed, creating another large explosion and yet another crater.

However, Jordan returned to his feet rather quickly, and then smiled. "I'm quite flattered that you're impressed over one of our techniques. And yes, you're right. It DOES circumvent time and space. For an instant, I'm actually in two places at once. It's the fastest technique that exists for moving from one place to another." Quickly sprinting forward several steps, he caught up to Zorpheus, who had landed several dozen meters away and began a vicious offensive attack, mixing up punches, kicks, and several other unorthodox blows, all of which were being dodged by Zorpheus. After a moment, Zorpheus managed to land a punch to his face, sending him back a few paces. He then was blown away by a huge energy discharge by Zorpheus, and he crashed into the ground once again, making a long trench.

"That's incredible. Not even the instantaneous movement can go at that rate. However, our way of using it can let us travel really long distances in an instant. It is very handy. Perhaps we can teach each other our techniques," Zorpheus asked, walking over to where Jordan had picked himself up out of the dirt.

"That sounds good. I'd very much like to learn a technique like that."

Zorpheus smiled. "Excellent. Well, anyway, it was a pleasure to fight with you, but now I must end it and move on to the tougher guys. You were a very worthy opponent, but I've been holding back for quite a while now. I'm surprised you're not winded yet. And besides, we've utterly destroyed this landscape. A shame."

Jordan smiled, and then bowed. "I appreciate your compliment. And don't worry about the landscape. This planet, in a way, is alive. These craters and all of this damage will be gone in only seven days. The planet 'heals' itself quickly," Jordan explained.

Smiling, Zorpheus became very impressed. "Wow. That's really neat. I've never known a planet like this one before. No wonder I didn't see any kind of damage when I was landing. Very impressive."

"Yes. Well, shall we finish our fight?"

Zorpheus grinned evilly, then appeared directly in front of Jordan. "Night night, and thanks," he said, balling up his fist and hurling it directly into the stunned Jordan's head. His fist connected and sent Jordan flying, knocking him out cold, but not killing him. He crash-landed several miles away, his eyes going vertigo, as he mumbled incoherent phrases.

"I love doing that," Zorpheus said, then started laughing. "Ahhh, the pleasures of toying with your opponents. But that was a great warm-up. Now, let's see what we got around here…" he muttered as he scanned for a higher power level. Using the scouter built into his artificial eye, he scanned the surrounding land. Finding only two power levels at ten million, he scanned a little further, and found two more that went over twenty million, which was his scouter's limitation.

"Well, this may have to do. Jordan was about fifteen million, so these guys ought to be able to do a bit more than he did," he said to himself as Jordan appeared next to him. Zorpheus acknowledged him with a nod and a grin. "Welcome back."

Jordan smiled. "Excellent technique. You're much stronger than I anticipated. I shall now take you to our most powerful warrior that we have on this planet."

"Excellent. I very much appreciate this."

Jordan lifted off into the air and began to fly toward a distant military base, where the strongest warriors stayed and slept. Zorpheus followed him, easily keeping pace.

"So, what's the name of your strongest warrior?" Zorpheus asked, pulling up next to Jordan.

"Her name is not pronounceable in your tongue, unfortunately. But if you must call her something, call her Pyramid."

Smiling and trying to keep from laughing out loud, Zorpheus put a hand over his mouth. "Pyramid? Why that? And did you say, SHE?"

Jordan grinned, then shrugged his shoulders. "Yeah. She. I have no idea why she chose that, but it fits her. She's lasted the longest out of everybody on this planet in a fight, and pyramids are known to last tens of thousands of years. She's built like a rock and incredibly powerful. I think she'll be capable of pushing you to a much higher limit."

"Awesome. I'm looking forward to meeting this Pyramid for myself. Is she friendly?"

"Yes. Even though she is the most powerful person on this planet, she has remained nice and friendly to everybody. Just don't make her mad or she goes crazy." Jordan looked forward, watching where he was going, and then looked over at Zorpheus. "She's… also a flirt. Be careful around her."

"Hmmm, very interesting. I can't wait to meet this chick," Zorpheus said, turning back to normal from a super saiyan. "I guess I should play a little game with her as I did with you, and turn into a super saiyan when the going gets tough."

Jordan smiled. "You'll definitely surprise her."

"Excellent. Well, let's get moving. I got to get in a lot of training before I head off to Earth. There is another guy who is headed there as well, if he isn't there already. He's a lot like me, but a little weaker than I am at present time. I need to stay ahead of him, but it most likely won't happen that way. Somehow, he always manages to pass me. However, I'm usually a better fighter than he is. I'm more careful and calculating, and he relies on his increased strength. But he too has some attacks that make mine look like child's play," Zorpheus explained.

"Why are you going to Earth?"

Thinking a moment, he figured that he might as well reveal his truth. "Well, have you ever heard of something called Dragonballs?"

Jordan shook his head. "No. What are those?"

"Well, they're magical balls that, when brought together, can grant the person one, two or three wishes, ranging from getting a pair of new underwear to acquiring immortality."

"Immortality? Who would want to live forever anyway?"

"Well, me. What I'm really going for is invincibility. I do not want to die of an unnatural death, meaning, being killed by someone. I'd rather live a full, healthy, happy life without worrying about some evil person planting a ki blast in my back or whatever. I can still fight for the good of the universe and not have to worry about dying while I do it. Immortality is really cool, but a little far-fetched. However, Russ misunderstood me and he thinks that I DO want immortality. But I doubt he'd want me wishing for invincibility either. He's against cheating death."

Jordan nodded his head. "No offense, but I am as well. There is no feeling of satisfaction of winning a battle when you know you can't be killed."

"I see. I haven't thought of it that way. And being a saiyan, I do take pleasure in defeating an opponent."

Again, Jordan nodded. "So what are you going to do?"

Zorpheus smiled. "Maybe I'll go for immortality anyway. I can live for a few thousand years, and when I feel that I've had enough, I can simply wish for it to be taken away. I could really piss Russ off by doing that," he said with a chuckle.

Jordan shook his head and grinned. "I'm not going to get involved in this one. Do what you please, and take care of yourself," he said, slowing down and pointing toward a large spaceport. "Your challenger waits in there. Just go to the front gate and ask for Pyramid, and that you'd like to train with her. The guards should have no problem accommodating your request."

Zorpheus smiled and extended his hand. "Thanks a lot, my friend. You've been most helpful."

Grasping his hand in his own, Jordan smiled, shook his hand, and after a quick goodbye, flew off back in the direction from which they came.

"Well, this place certainly looks lively," he said, looking at the gigantic starships and transports that littered the ground. Platforms nearly a mile high were scattered throughout what seemed to be a ten square mile patch of land, situated in a large valley. Transports and starships of all sizes, shapes, and colors were parked at many of the available ports, held in place by tractor beams or sitting on the platforms, using their landing gear. Fighter bays were positioned in various places throughout the port, and thousands of people were out on the tarmac, waving flags around or directing traffic.

A monstrous transport fired its engines and began to lift off from one of the platforms, rumbling the ground and making an extreme amount of noise. It had several strips positioned around the outer hull of the ship, and Zorpheus, being both a trekker and warsie, recognized them as phaser arrays. As it lifted off into the sky, it slowly turned toward Zorpheus's position and began to move forward, making the noise level increase as it brought the throttle up to the take-off position. After a few moments, it flew over Zorpheus's head, creating such a racket that Zorpheus had to cover his ears, and even then the noise level was almost unbearable. The jet wash from its engines caused him to have to shield his face. The transport lumbered higher into the atmosphere and then vanished, a star-like flash marking its position as it left the planet's gravity well and made it into outer space.

"Those things are damn loud. Ugh," he mumbled, flying toward the front gate and then touching down.

Walking toward the checkpoint, he poked his head inside the office. "Hello in there. Can someone assist me?"

One of the guards who was on duty looked up from his control panel and nodded his head. "What can I do for you, sir?"

"Greetings. Can you tell me where I can find a soldier known as Pyramid? I was told she was stationed at this base."

Cocking his eyebrow skeptically, the guard got to his feet and made his way over to Zorpheus. "Who wants to know?"

"Um… Well, my name is Zorpheus, and I would like to fight her, if that is possible," he said, meekly.

The guard's eyes went wide for an instant, and then he started chuckling. Turning away from the door, he looked at the other guard who was on duty. "Hey Qeuedl, this guy wants to fight Pyramid. Isn't that the most ridiculous thing you've ever heard?"

Having a mouthful of some beverage he was drinking, he swallowed it in a deliberately loud gulp. "What? Why? Do you have a death wish?"

Zorpheus stood by calmly and smiled. "No. Now, can you please tell me where I can find Pyramid?"

Ladre shook his head. "It's your life, but she's probably going to hand your ass to you in two seconds. Well, Qeuedl, go ahead and page her. Tell her to come to the front entrance, and that there is a challenger here who wants to fight her."

"Yes sir," he answered, as he keyed a few commands and made the announcement over the base-wide intercom system for everybody to hear. Several soldiers who were marching past the front gate stopped and looked at the newcomer and shook their heads, but they stayed in position, wanting to see the match. Several other people were approaching the gate as well.

Zorpheus poked his head back into the office. "Why did you have to go and do that?"

"What? You didn't want anybody to watch you get your ass handed to you on a silver platter? The entire base knows her and knows how she can fight. Whenever she fights, we televise it via closed circuit TV to the base. Everybody loves to see her open up a can of whoop-ass."

Groaning to himself, Zorpheus shook his head. "Alright, alright. Where is she?"

"She should be out here any minute. Very beautiful and very talented, you'll know her when you see her."

"I've never seen a female of your species before. Can't you tell that I'm not from your planet?" Zorpheus asked.

"Now that you mention it, you resemble a saiyan."

Zorpheus grinned. "Correct."

"HOWEVER, saiyans don't exist anymore. Frieza destroyed their home world."

"And what you didn't know, didn't hurt us. There was another colonized world far, far away from planet Vegeta. Our race has survived. And you're looking at a saiya-jin," Zorpheus said, proudly.

Both soldiers looked at him in surprise. "You're kidding!"

Again, Zorpheus smiled. "Nope. And I bet you guys think the legend of the super saiyan is also fake."

"Of course. None ever existed."

"Man, you guys must have been really isolated or something. A saiyan warrior named Goku killed Frieza. He became a super saiyan and nearly annihilated him on Namek, and then Prince Vegeta's son, Trunks, finished him off when he went to Earth. Frieza is dead and super saiyans do exist. You're looking at one," Zorpheus said ominously, drawing himself up to his full height as he felt a tap on his shoulder from behind.

Turning around, he looked into the deep green eyes of Pyramid, the strongest warrior on planet Xnafu. She was a good six inches shorter than Zorpheus, and she looked extremely unusual. She did have female anatomy, but it was placed under her scale armor, creating a rather unusual bulge around her chest area. Other than that, she pretty much looked like Cell again, except her skin tone was more orange than red. She smiled and extended her hand.

"Hello," she said, in a light, sweet voice, completely unlike the voices of the males of her race, and causing Zorpheus to turn a few shades of crimson. "I'm Pyramid. It's a pleasure to meet you, mister…?"

"Um… err… eh… My name is Zorpheus. The pleasure is mine," he said, grasping her hand and giving it a gentle shake. "Yes, a great pleasure."

She smiled and nodded her head. "Shall we get busy? I have some things I need to take care of, so, no offense, but I have to end this fairly quickly. I hope you're stronger than you look. Your clothes are a mess."

"Well, I fought against a guy named Jordan, which explains why my clothes are torn to shreds. I went easy on him. I wanted to spar and not destroy. But it helps my power level if I get beat up several times. Anyway, I'm extremely surprised to learn that a female is the strongest on the planet," Zorpheus said, a wide grin on his face as he scratched the back of his head. "Most of the time, it's a super huge guy who is the strongest."

Giggling quietly to herself, she smiled. "Well, I don't think I'll disappoint you. Ladre?"

"Yes, ma'am?"

"Do you have the security cameras on and recording?"

"Yes, ma'am."

"Okay, great. Come on out this way, Zorpheus, so we don't do too much damage to the base," she said, pulling on his arm and leading him about a mile away. "This should do nicely."

Zorpheus bowed and removed his cape, exposing the hilt of his sword and his incredibly muscular arms. He cracked his knuckles and stretched himself a bit. "I'm ready to begin whenever you are."

Before Zorpheus even knew what happened, she appeared in front of him and planted a fist directly into his head, knocking him back almost a quarter mile, creating a massive trench and an earthshaking crash.

"Holy shit," he groaned, trying to pick himself up out of the dirt "Did anybody catch the number of that bus?" he muttered as he lay back down in his hole, resting a moment.

"Is that it? I thought you said you were strong," she said, sounding disappointed. "Well, if that's it, I must be going. Come back when you're ready."

"Hold up," Zorpheus said, standing up and brushing the dirt off his armor. He shook his head around to clear his head of the cobwebs that swam around in his brain.

"Yes?"  
"I had no idea you wanted to skip the warm-up. Well, okay. I'll skip it too," he said, tightening his fists. His hair stood on end and instantly turned gold, his energy yellow, and his eye the unusual sea green. Once again, he became a super saiyan and looked at her, while her face expressed absolute disbelief.

"Oh, no way!! You ARE a super saiyan?!"

Zorpheus laughed. "You're about the fifth person who has said that."

"I've never seen one before, and your energy has just gone through the roof. You are going to be a worthy challenger. I haven't had a good fight in years!" she said, clenching her fists and causing her violet ki to explode around her in a fireball. "Lets warm it up a few notches!"

The ground under her feet disintegrated, forming a huge crater as the dirt further away from her cracked and split in a violet earthquake. Dirt chunks and rocks flew away from her at outrageous speed, pelting Zorpheus and causing him to shield his face once more. Quickly putting up a ki shield in front of him, he watched her power up to levels beyond what he expected from a girl, but only about half as high as the maximum level the computer onboard his spacepod indicated. This was going to be an interesting fight.

"I'm ready now," she invited.

Instantly appearing in front of her, he smashed his fist into her head, blasting her back about a quarter mile. She made a super long trench when she landed on the ground.

Everybody back at the base gasped in surprise, as nobody had ever done that to her. Slowly, she picked herself up out of the dirt and ground her teeth.

"Okay, wise guy. Now we're even. Let's get this show on the road!"

"Yes ma'am," Zorpheus said, and then lunged at her.

Massive thunderclouds began forming over the Misaki household, and a distant rumble of thunder marked the coming of the storm. Lightning began flashing through the sky, and the wind picked up, stirring the fallen leaves and flower petals that were scattered on the ground. Ryoko had gotten off of the roof and teleported over to where Russ, Sasami, and Washu were standing, as they watched the phenomenon in awe and fear. Tenchi and Aeka had burst out of the house as well, wondering what was going on. Several more thunderclaps rumbled the ground and in the pit of their stomachs, as the clouds swirled like a hurricane over Tenchi's home. It grew darker, like it would be late in the day, and the temperature dropped to about seventy degrees from the warm eighty-five that they had about five minutes ago.

"This can't be happening!" Sasami cried, clenching onto Russ's arm. The little princess was shaking with the rush of adrenaline and fear. "We killed him! He's supposed to be dead! Washu?!"

"I don't understand. The dimensional cannon made a direct hit!" Washu said, summoning her phantom laptop, and then started typing in a frenzy. "There is no mistake. It's definitely Kain."

"WHAT?!" Tenchi yelled, now standing by everybody else. Ryoko stood next to him, as she looked skyward, watching the lightning and listening to the thunder as it rumbled throughout the valley. "How the hell could he be alive?!"

"I don't know!" Washu yelled, irritated. "Calm down, everyone. We're going to have to get him back into subspace. I'll have to find another way to destroy him."

Lightning began streaking down to the ground at an alarming rate, zapping the same spot over and over as a black aura formed in the middle of it. The noise level was extremely high, causing Sasami to cover her ears and scream in terror. Russ stood next to her and laid his hand on her shoulder, pulling her close and shielding her from the bright flashes and loud thunderclaps. The wind was incredible, forcing everybody shielded his or her faces from the scene, except for Russ, who glared at the spectacle in concentration.

The ball of dark energy grew bigger, and several other radically different bolts of lightning began streaking inward toward the ball, energizing it with their energy. A white face and two white hands slowly became visible, as the wind slowly died down, the lighting ceased, and the distant rumbles of thunder continued.

Standing at a terrifying ten feet tall, Kain, the most power villain that planet Jurai, Tenchi, or any other opposing force had ever faced, stood in front of the terrified group, a crude, evil, heartless smile on his face. He laughed, but his mouth didn't move. His eyes were nothing but black orbs that held no emotion. His body had no definition at all, and he looked only like a black aura, always changing shape.

Slowly, he raised a finger and pointed it directly at Tenchi. "You, and your family, are going to parish at my hand," he rumbled, his mouth motionless, except for a chilling grin.

Tenchi wrapped his fingers around the master key, and withdrew it from his brown robe. Ryoko, Washu, and Aeka all looked at him, their faces terrified of what was going to happen.

"Listen, everyone," he began, but was interrupted.

"I know what you're thinking Tenchi, and the answer is no," Ryoko said, looking at him with her most serious expression. "You're not fighting him alone. No way, no how."

"I'm sorry, Ryoko, but this is the way it has to be. Because of him, my mother died before I really ever had a chance to know her. And by all rights, he should be dead too, but WE FAILED!" he yelled, tears forming at the corners of his eyes. "He took my mother away from me, and he'll pay for it with his life. I appreciate you wanting to help me, but it's none of your business, and I don't want you involved. It's my job to protect you, not the other way around."

Ryoko looked at him in stunned hurt. "Tenchi! You can't be serious! You CAN'T WIN!" she screamed. "Let me help you! Please!"

"No. Now…"

"Tenchi, you're being stupid," Washu interrupted. "It's going to take all of us to beat him."

"I have the lighthawk wings to protect me this time," Tenchi said, igniting his sword. The blue blade hummed with radiant Jurai energy and cast a light blue glow on everybody's face. "I'll be fine," he said, and then smiled.

"But Tenchi!" Ryoko started, and then stopped. Watching him, she realized that it was no use arguing with him. "Tenchi, if you get killed, I'm killing myself and coming after you, you idiot," she whispered.

"Don't talk nonsense, Ryoko. If I die, I want you to go on living. Leave this place and get as far away from him as you can. Take everybody with you and flee."

Ryoko shook her head as several tears streamed down her cheeks. "I'm only alive now to be with you. Without you, I have no reason to exist anymore."

Tenchi stopped and stared at her saddened face and realized how much he meant to her. Carefully caressing her face in his hand, he gave her a light kiss on her lips, savoring the moment, as it could be his last. "I'll be careful Ryoko. If your survival depends on mine, then I'll live. I promise."

Ryoko somehow managed to smile, and she sniffled, and then nodded her head. "Okay. Go get him, Tenchi."

"That goes for the rest of you. Nobody help me, as I'm going to do this on my own."

"Are you sure you want to do this, Tenchi?" Russ asked. "I understand the warrior ways. If you do not want help, we will not give it. I hope you yourself understand what you're asking."

"I do."

Russ stared into Tenchi's brown eyes, which were taken over by an incredible amount of sheer anger, concentration, and determination. After a moment, he smiled. "Okay. Good luck, Tenchi."

"You're not seriously going to let him fight alone, are you?!" Aeka said, wide eyed as she stared into Russ's face.

"Yes. He feels his honor has been violated, and he feels the need for vengeance for his mother. I understand how he feels perfectly," Russ said quietly, as Tenchi slowly made his way over to the dark form.

"How could you?!" Aeka nearly yelled, becoming hysterical. "How could you possibly know what he's feeling?"

Russ looked at her with the sad eyes that he usually had when he was alone. "I know."

Taken aback, she looked down toward his hand, which was clenched into a tight fist. Turning her head away from him and toward Tenchi, who stopped about halfway between the group and Kain, she recited a silent prayer to herself, hoping for a miracle.

"Don't worry, Aeka," Russ said, placing his free hand on her shoulder and giving it a gentle squeeze. "I'm sure he'll be fine."

Aeka wrapped her arms around Russ and buried her face in his green gi, hugging him tightly. "I believe you, Russ."

Russ watched Tenchi, as he stood alone, defiant, against what seemed to be an invincible foe. Raising his sword up and wrapping his other hand around the hilt, he crouched down slightly. "You caused my mother's death, Kain."

"She was the only one capable of stopping me. But it wasn't enough."

"How did you survive the dimensional cannon?" Tenchi asked, his hands becoming sweaty from clenching the sword Tenchi in an ironclad grip.

"It would've worked well, if the ball had detonated."

Washu stared, horrified, at this revelation.

"It didn't explode?" Tenchi asked, not wavering in the least.

"No."

"It's a shame you decided to come back here. My mother is gone, but I'm not, and I'm going to send you straight to hell."

Kain smiled, sending chills down everybody's spine except for the two warriors, Tenchi, and Russ. Sasami remained clenched onto Russ's waist, her face buried in his stomach, not wanting to turn and face the scariest enemy she had ever known.

"You're welcome to try, Prince of Jurai," Kain taunted.

Tenchi leapt into the air, and with a loud battlecry, he brought his sword down onto Kain's awaiting form. However, the black mass caught the sword and held Tenchi several feet above the ground. As he dangled there, a look of pure hatred on Tenchi's face, Kain, taking his free hand, swatted Tenchi away into the nearby mountain where he slammed into the ground, causing him to cough up a mouthful of slimy crimson. It dribbled down the side of his mouth as he clutched his chest in pain.

"TENCHI!" Ryoko screamed, jumping into the air and beginning to move toward him. However, Russ instantly appeared in front of her with his arms spread wide, almost causing Sasami and Aeka to fall over, as he disappeared before they let go.

"Land. You will respect his wishes, if you truly love him," Russ said, his face blank. Kain noticed Russ for the first time and looked at him curiously, wondering how he moved with such speed.

Ryoko bared her fangs as her orange sword blazed into existence. She floated poised, ready to strike. "Get out of my way, or I'll kill you," she growled.

"Tenchi is fine, Ryoko. Trust me," Russ said, his face dead serious.

"How the hell can he be fine?! LOOK AT… him?" she said, trailing off as Tenchi returned to his feet. He had a slight grin on his face, the trickle of blood still dripping out of the corner of his mouth.

Russ remained directly in front of Ryoko. "He'll be fine, Ryoko. Be patient, and trust in him."

Ryoko looked back at Tenchi, as a symbol on his forehead appeared and glowed with radiant energy. That energy, which she had seen only twice before, had helped save her life twice… once from Kagato, and once from Dr. Clay. Ryoko landed on the ground, extinguishing her sword while Russ turned around in surprise, wondering what was happening with Tenchi.

The symbol on Tenchi's head grew brighter in intensity, as his brown clothes faded away and was replaced with brightly colored battle armor. Three semi-transparent blades rotated around Tenchi's body, until one attached itself to his arm, the other seemed to disappear, and when Tenchi wrapped his hands around the third, it transformed into a really unusual sword, which was solid and not made of energy.

Russ watched this transformation in awe, his jaw hanging slightly open. "What just happened?"

"Tenchi is now using the full power of Jurai. Those are the lighthawk wings that you've heard of before. They only come into existence when Tenchi's life or others are threatened, and is in a situation where he can't win without them," Aeka explained, watching Tenchi as she clung to Russ's arm. Sasami turned her face toward Tenchi, and she dried her tears. "He hasn't been able to will them into existence, and it seems that he he has to have a need for them. At least, that's how it has gone so far."

"The lighthawk wings are powerful, but I have no idea what they're going to do against a being like Kain," Washu said, continually taking readings from Tenchi, as this is what she had always tried to get him to do.

Out of nowhere, Kain charged an energy blast and flung it at Tenchi, blanketing the area in blinding, white light. It raced toward him and slammed into Tenchi's sword, and then vanished. The lighthawk wing hummed as it absorbed the energy, and then dissipated it.

"What?!" Kain said in surprise. "So this is the fabled power of the Lighthawk Wings. Very impressive."

Swinging the sword around his body, Tenchi leapt into the air once again and this time flew over to Kain, making one long swipe down the center of his body, but Kain was gone. Tenchi landed on the ground and looked above him, where the black mass was speeding toward him with is arm outstretched. Casually, Tenchi stepped aside as Kain drove his fist and fingers into the ground in a thunderous explosion, creating a small crater.

Kain returned to a standing position and smiled. Instantly tossing another energy ball at Tenchi, he vanished and re-appeared behind him, and drove his hand to the back of Tenchi's neck. However, the lighthawk wing that was attached to his arm as a shield appeared in front of Kain's hand and blocked the attack. The contact of Kain's hand and the lighthawk wing sparked an energy surge that sent Kain back several paces, causing him to roar in pain. His hand and Tenchi's lighthawk wing were both smoking, but both unscathed. The energy blast that was fired had hit Tenchi's armor and fizzled out.

Once again, Kain made another offensive attack, using a combination of an energy blast to Tenchi's back, vanishing and reappearing in another spot and launching a second energy blast, then disappeared and reappeared in a third spot, and again tried to drive his hand into Tenchi's head. However, the lighthawk wing that was behind Tenchi absorbed the energy ball that Kain launched, Tenchi's armor absorbed the second energy attack, and Tenchi used his sword to block Kain's hand, which when they made contact created the same feedback effect, knocking him back several paces.

"What is he doing, Russ?" Sasami asked, watching the two through frightened eyes.

"Kain is probing him for a weakness. So far, he hasn't found one. Those Lighthawk Wings offer a great deal of protection. I wonder what else they can do," Russ explained, still watching the confrontation in complete focus.

"Unfortunately, I think Tenchi does have a limit. There may be a level that Tenchi cannot block, but Kain is fully capable of generating. Right now, he hasn't even begun using his power," Washu described, pulling up diagrams on her computer screen, continually taking measurements. However, she wasn't the only one watching the fight.

"My Lady, the boy is using the Lighthawk Wings once again."

"It's been a while since he used them last."

"Yes. Shall we take a record of the battle?"

"I want to learn what my sister has been up to, and how her weapon is progressing."

"I understand. I will begin recording the battle at this moment. Setting up all necessary scans and measuring devices. Setting timeframe."

Smiling, she watched the battle between Kain and Tenchi begin to unfold, however, her servant, D3, noticed something odd.

"Excuse me, Lady Tokimi, but there is something strange about some of the individuals. Tenchi has an extraordinary amount of Jurai power and the foe he is fighting, known as Kain, also has an unusual amount of dark energy. However, there is one other there who has a large amount of energy as well. LIFE energy, or ki energy."

Her smile slowly vanished. "Which individual?"

"That one, My Lady," D3 said, indicating on the screen. A computer outline traced the outer edges of Russ, who stood next to Aeka and Sasami. Several diagrams came up, measuring his current energy level, muscle mass, and estimated potential energy levels.

"Interesting. Who is he?"

"He is known as a saiyan. We currently have no name. However, their race is supposed to be extinct. We do have sketchy records of another saiyan from almost a thousand years ago, known as Kakarrot, who was supposed to be the most powerful being in existence at one point," D3 described. "However, we have no data on how much energy he could produce, or how powerful the combatants were at his time when he was alive."

"Hmmm… We will have to see what happens. I've never seen a live saiyan, and it'll be interesting to see what he can do if he becomes involved."

D3 nodded and faded from existence, leaving Tokimi to watch the battle.

Thunderous shockwaves and blurs of motion marked the continuing battle between Zorpheus and Pyramid. At this point, the battle had gone over thirty minutes, both participants finally starting to show signs of fatigue from exercising their muscles to the extreme, but Pyramid more so than Zorpheus. They blurred into existence, exchanged a fast and furious array of punches and kicks, and then vanished again, several shockwaves surrounding their former position. The ground from their battle was turned into what could've passed for the surface of a moon, littered with craters and other holes. In one spot, lava was spewing up from a fissure, causing volcanic ash and soot to fly into the violet atmosphere.

Pyramid reappeared and fired a small, yellow ball of energy at Zorpheus, who swatted it away and returned the attack with a small ball of his own. She swatted it away and then screamed in pain when Zorpheus instantly appeared in front of her and buried his fist into her shoulder. Flying back several meters, she stuck her foot out and rammed Zorpheus in the face, sending him to the ground.

Watching Pyramid come screaming down out of the sky, Zorpheus quickly returned to his feet and darted away, causing her to crash land into his basin. Quickly returning to the air, Zorpheus sensed something behind him, but before he could react, he was knocked backward from a punch to his face. Realizing that she had used her enhanced technique to appear behind him and then in front of him, he spat out a mouthful of blood and grinned, balling up his fist and Zanzokening directly in front of her, slamming his foot into her chest. Pyramid flew back several dozen meters, and then got a psychotic look on her face.

Becoming infuriated, Pyramid used her anger to fuel her strength. Rushing him at her maximum speed, she began a vicious onslaught of punches and kicks. All of them looking like a blur, she became even more frustrated when Zorpheus simply dodged every attack, and to make matters worse, he was smiling the whole time. Pushing herself to her limit, she finally managed to land a punch on Zorpheus's face, and then landed nearly every punch after that. Pounding Zorpheus into pulp, she slowly caused him to fall back to the ground, pounding him every inch of the way. He was too dazed to even put up a defense, as she kicked him in what felt like five places at once. Placing her hands together, she axe-handled him into his back, sending him down to the ground.

Picking himself back up, Zorpheus wiped a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth, and continued to smile. Pyramid landed in front of him, breathing heavily.

"You are much stronger than I thought," Pyramid said, standing a short distance away from Zorpheus, who was poised in a defensive stance, awaiting her next attack. Her toga-like clothing was torn in several places and bruises littered her body, but for the most part, she felt they were evenly matched. "I haven't had a challenge like this before. It feels good."

"I'm glad you're enjoying yourself," Zorpheus said, then zanzokened behind her, swinging his foot at her side, but she vanished. Quickly turning around and throwing a fist out behind him, he landed his fist in her gut, causing her to double over in pain. Capitalizing on the situation, he speedily brought his knee up and planted it into her chest, knocking more wind out of her. Withdrawing his knee, he slammed it again into her chest, repeated it several more times, making her become almost immobile. Winding up his fist, he slammed it into the side of her head, sending her careening off into the valley wall, where she crashed and created a large hole in the ground.

"MASENKO HAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!" he screamed, sending the yellow beam into the hole where it exploded, causing an entire section of the valley wall to vaporize in a massive shockwave, sending out debris as far as the military spaceport. Standing up straight, he panted heavily, quickly catching his breath from straining himself. He patiently waited for the dust to clear, and he knew that Pyramid was still alive since he could still sense her energy, but it was substantially reduced.

After a moment, a massive earthquake shook the ground, and a huge, violet explosion erupted from the middle of the collapsed mountainside. Pyramid screamed at the top of her voice, pushing out a tremendous amount of energy as she cleared out the rubble from her resting place. Standing tall and having blue blood trickling from several places on her face, she clenched her fists and screamed, sending her energy as high as it would go. Her face looked completely insane as her energy level continued to rise. Moments later she finished, her energy burning brightly around her battered and bruised form.

Zorpheus grinned, and powered up to her new level, effortlessly. His golden energy pulsed around him in yellow flame as he prepared for her attack.

Racing toward him with a terrifying battlecry, she tried to plant her fist into Zorpheus's face, but he put his hand out in front of him and blocked it, catching her own fist in his hand, a massive shockwave emanating from their point of contact. Balling up her other fist, she tried again to hit him, but he caught her fist in his other hand. He then started to squeeze, making pain shoot through her fingers, hands, and wrists, causing her to howl in pain. Not straining very hard, Zorpheus continued to apply pressure, but Pyramid clenched her jaw tightly, gritting her teeth and trying her best to fight back. Both of their energy auras danced and mingled with each other, changing colors where they touched.

Looking Zorpheus in the eye, she brought her leg up and planted it right between both of his legs. However, it didn't have the desired effect. Smiling, Zorpheus released one of her hands, doubled up his fist and punched her in the jaw, sending her flying into the air. Zanzokening above her, he spun around and put his leg out and smashed it into her head, sending her back to the soil where she impacted, making another fissure in the ground. He followed it up with a blue generic energy ball, causing a small explosion on top of her.

Zorpheus landed on the ground in front of her and smiled, folding his arms over his chest as he waited for her to return to her feet, which this time was much slower than the rest.

"Explain something to me," Pyramid said quietly, trying to keep herself steady as she stood in her hole. "How come you didn't feel anything when I kicked you in the crotch?"

"Industrial strength jock strap," he replied, simply.

"And why would you keep one down there?" she countered.

Zorpheus grinned. "Being a ladies man, I've been kicked there quite a few times, so I just got sick of feeling that kind of pain. I put on the jock strap, no more pain."

Pyramid managed a weak smile, and then rose into the air, slowly. Landing on the far side of her depression, she placed both her hands out in front of her. "It's time to finish this with one final attack. Block it if you think you can, Zorpheus. You are the strongest fighter I've ever faced, and it has been an honor to meet you."

Zorpheus bowed humbly. "Thank you. But before you go doing what you're about to do, how are your medical facilities?"

Looking at him in curiosity, she lowered her arms to her sides. "How come?"

"I'm going to let you hit me with your attack," he responded, standing up straight and lowering his energy level significantly. "The closer I come to death from a fight, the stronger I get when I heal."

"I've heard about that. So it's true then?"

"Yes. Even though I'm not a hundred percent saiyan, it is one of the dominant traits that had surfaced within me. If you hit me with your attack and nearly kill me, when I heal, I'll be considerably stronger," Zorpheus explained.

"I see. Well, to answer your question, we have the newest regeneration tanks that are available to the military. It should be able to heal physical wounds on a person of your size in as little as twenty minutes."

"Excellent. That sounds good." Zorpheus spread his arms wide and smiled. "Hit me with your best shot," he challenged.

"One last question," she began. "How much were you holding back? Seriously?"

"Heh. I'm at about half strength right now. If I had gone to full strength, you wouldn't have had a chance," Zorpheus said quietly.

"I see. Thanks again, Zorpheus."

"Not a problem. Lets see what this attack of yours is made of," Zorpheus invited, turning his palms outward and relaxing slightly.

Pyramid grinned weakly, and then nodded her head. Again placing both of her hands out in front of her, cupping each hand and pointing them toward each other in front of her midsection, she began to charge her most powerful energy attack. Red steaks of energy began to arc between her two palms as a small ball formed in between them.

"ITSU…" she yelled, as the ball of energy grew in size, intensity, and brightness. Zorpheus raised both of his eyebrows at the radical amount of power this attack was generating, and he mentally prepared himself to be blown away, but not killed.

"…MASHA…"

Her voice echoed around the area, making it all the way back to the military base, where every single soldier had stopped what he or she were doing to watch the finale of their battle royal. They had never, ever seen her make this attack on a person before, and they couldn't believe that the individual that she had fought was able to take her on. However, they couldn't quite figure out why he stood there with his arms spread wide, awaiting her attack.

"…ZELU…"

The red energy between her hands had gotten so intense that she could barely contain it any longer. Her hands were straining with all the willpower she could muster, trying to keep from losing control and letting it explode on her instead of Zorpheus. It was so powerful and bright that it could be seen from orbit. Clouds and wind churned and spun near and around her, as she finished charging the most powerful attack that her race had created. Pyramid looked at Zorpheus, her face contorted with strain, and she managed a chilling smile.

"…KUNOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!" she screamed, releasing the red orb from her hands and flinging it at Zorpheus. It was extremely small, moved slowly, but had an astounding amount of energy gathered in it. Zorpheus's eyes went wide as he increased his energy to a safer level, and watched the ball move toward him. When it got to about a foot away from him it detonated, creating a concentrated but utterly extraordinary explosion that peeled away every living thing within a mile radius. Pyramid shielded herself, but she had hardly any energy left to defend herself from her own attack, and as a result she was blown away like a leaf in a hurricane. The entire planet shook from the ferocity of the shockwave that was created, and the noise from the explosion was deafening.

The spectacle lasted nearly thirty seconds until the light slowly faded away, revealing all the damage that was done. Nothing was left except for Zorpheus, who was barely breathing. He lay in the bottom of a bowl, the heat of the Itsumashazelukuno bomb turning the sand, clay, and dirt into dirty glass. Bleeding from several wounds on his body, he had become normal during the explosion, his hair and eyes having returned to black and his muscle mass becoming normal once again. He was badly burned in several places, especially his arms and legs. The artificial arm was sparking from several gouges that were caused by flying debris.

Several thousand feet away, Pyramid somehow managed to drag herself to her feet, also singed in several places, breathing heavily. Barely able to make herself walk over to the glass crater, she stumbled and fell face-first into the dirt. Her vision went black as she passed out from exhaustion, the distant sound of a siren wailing in her ears.

Staring each other down, both of their eyes filled with intense hatred, Kain and Tenchi continued to square off, neither making any progress on the other. They had punched, kicked, and sliced at each other, but neither had acquired any physical damage as of yet. It had been a slow battle as Kain was still testing Tenchi's abilities, and hadn't used the bulk of his energy as of yet. Sasami hung onto Russ's arm and Aeka stood very, very close to him, but not touching. Ryoko stood nearby, her face a mask of concern. She desperately wanted to go out there and help, but she knew that she didn't stand a chance against a being like Kain, and at Tenchi's current level, she knew that he had far surpassed her. Washu concentrated on her computer and the battle, continually taking readings and making a visual record. She had devoted nearly all the processing power of her lab to measuring the battle. Azaka and Kamidake were nearby, quietly conversing amongst themselves. Katsuhito was still up in the shrine, however, he watched the battle unfold from the top of his hill, silently encouraging Tenchi to fight onward.

Skipping a few steps forward and then charging the black mass, Tenchi swung his sword in a horizontal slash, trying to cut Kain in half, however, Kain leapt back several meters, letting the blade whip through his former position. Gathering a small, white energy ball in his hand, Tenchi flung it at the ground directly underneath Kain, where it exploded in a vertical tower of white energy. When the brightness faded away, Kain was still there, smiling that hellish grin of his.

"I've had enough of this. If I cannot defeat you like this, I'll do what I was going to do with your mother, and ABSORB YOU!" he roared, drawing himself up to his full height and opening the white portal within his mass. Acting like a vacuum cleaner, it began to create a strong wind, trying to push Tenchi toward him.

"TENCHI!" Ryoko yelled. "Fight it! Come on! You have to do something!"

Kain chuckled to himself, his voice sounding deep enough to rumble the ground he stood on. "After I absorb you, house of Jurai, I'll absorb your friends as well," he taunted.

Tenchi stood in front of him, his hair being blown forward from the rush of the wind, but he didn't move. Not from the force of the wind, anyway. Slowly making his way toward Kain, Tenchi steadily placing one foot in front of the other, he walked over to the mass and stopped about three feet from the portal opening, everybody gasping in horror at how reckless Tenchi was being.

Kain looked at him in curiosity, and then in horror. Tenchi brought his sword up and brought it down through the blackness, causing purple goop to spew from Kain. Roaring in pain and anguish, Kain closed the portal and then drove his fist into Tenchi's stomach. Using an incredible amount of force, he managed to partially break through the lighthawk wing armor, and Tenchi was smashed back several hundred feet where he skidded to a halt, somehow managing to keep his balance and remain on his feet. However, Tenchi was severely weakened from such a forceful blow, that one of the lighthawk wings flickered for several moments, and then returned to its normal phase.

"So, you DO have a weakness, Prince of Jurai," Kain said, covering his wound, which was near his right shoulder.

Tenchi watched him in determined anger, his face betraying the fear he suddenly felt in his mind. Standing up straight once again, he made his lighthawk sword disappear, and then placed both of his hands directly in front of him as his body became contorted with strain, forcing a tremendous amount of energy into an orange ball that had formed in front of him. Just before he flung it at his arch nemesis, his target disappeared. Looking around in astonishment, he felt a sharp pain in his back, where Kain had buried his fingers into Tenchi's lung. Unable to scream, he coughed up a mouthful of blood as Kain withdrew his fingers out of Tenchi's back, his white hand covered in crimson, and Tenchi fell forward, his face in the dirt. However, he didn't lose any of the energy that he had gathered. Rolling onto his back, he placed both his hands directly at the ten-foot tall demon and released it all at once. An ultimately bright orange light flooded the entire valley, causing nearly everybody to shield his or her eyes from the incredible amount of raw Jurai power that Tenchi released. An unholy roar from Kain was the last thing they heard while the entire area became a blinding, orange light.

Several moments later the glare ceased, and everybody could see what was left. Tenchi lay on the ground, his armor gone. Cuts, abrasions, and bruises littered his body, a small river of blood coming from both Tenchi's mouth, nose, and a small cut from his forehead over his left eye. His breathing was labored, but he was alive.

There was no sight or sign of Kain anywhere. No trace of a fried corpse or anything physical from him.

Everybody ran up to Tenchi and he opened his eyes, and then smiled. "I did it," he whispered, his voice garbled. "I actually did it."

"Yes you did, Tenchi," Ryoko said, smiling. "I can't believe it, but you've done it. I'm so proud of you. Goddamn, I love you more than anything. Praise Tsunami that you survived."

"I'm afraid it isn't over," Russ said, his face dead serious. Everybody turned to stare at him in horror, except for Washu.

"It is over. Where is Kain if it isn't over?"

Russ glared at her. "I know you can sense energy. I can still sense Kain, clear as day. He's been weakened, but he is still very much alive."

Washu reached into a subspace portal and withdrew Russ's scouter. "This will tell me for sure. I enhanced it too. It can go five times higher than what it was capable of before," Washu said, placing it on her right ear. It stuck itself to her head, and she turned it on. The little screen came to life and began calculating energy levels for everybody. However, it found an energy level much higher than anybody else's, but it could not find a source. After a moment, it beeped, displaying an arrow to the right, and it recalculated the super high energy level. Turning her head toward a forming black mass, she stepped back in horror.

"No…" Washu said, unable to articulate an objection any better than that.

Russ stood over Tenchi's broken and battered form. "Are you able to continue the fight?"

"What the hell are you talking about?! Look at him! He can't fight anymore!" Ryoko yelled, clenching her fist and venting her pent up stress on Russ.

Ignoring her outburst, Russ continued to look into Tenchi's eyes. He was barely able to move. "Do you want me to finish this for you? I can, but only if you give me permission to."

Tenchi smiled and nodded his head.

"Okay. You did very well. I'm extremely impressed, but now it is my turn," he said, turning toward the little blue haired princess. "Sasami? Remember the healing technique I showed you? Use it on Tenchi. Now. He needs help," Russ ordered, looking at the little princess.

Sasami stepped back a pace and looked at Russ, looking very small and scared. "I can't! I haven't had any practice or anything. I don't know how!" she objected.

Russ smiled and placed a hand on her shoulder while the dark aura became much larger several hundred feet away. "You have everything you need to make this work. Tenchi needs your help. You can do this," Russ encouraged.

Sasami gazed at him as if he were a saint. Becoming determined, she nodded her head. "I'll do my best," she said, approaching Tenchi. "Lay still. I hope this works."

"It'll work, Sasami. You're both of Jurai," Russ said, simply. "But it won't work on me, unfortunately. But I'll be fine," he said with a smile.

"Let me help you, Russ," Aeka asked looking determined. "I can help you."

Turning toward her, looking her in the eye, he shook his head. "Don't be rediculous. You stay back here and protect everybody. I'll be fine."

"But…"

"No," Russ interrupted her. "Just do as I say, and everything will be fine."

Clenching her fists, she hung her head. Ryoko approached her and laid a hand on her shoulder. "He's right. Tenchi couldn't do it, so the only one left is he. And I believe he can do it."

"I feel so useless," Aeka said quietly, hanging her head. "All of these problems are always caused by you or I, but we're never able to help."

"Shhh…" Ryoko whispered. "Look."

Raising her eyes to where Russ had walked out to, she fixated her gaze on the black form that stood several hundred meters in front of him. However, the mass had continued to grow, and it formed into a huge, horrid, black dragon. Nearly forty feet tall, it roared, purple blood still present on its body as it locked its gaze on Tenchi, and then on the individual who separated himself from the group.

"Are you of the house of Jurai?" it rumbled, and then hissed, his purple tongue darted in and out of his mouth.

"No. But you're going to fight me now. And lose," Russ replied.

Clenching his fists, Russ's face became a hard glare, as several yellow bolts of lightning streaked through the sky. Kain watched him in amazement, wondering where this tremendous buildup of energy was coming from.

The scouter over Washu's ear beeped a warning and focused on Russ. The numbers climbed at an alarming rate. Fifty million… seventy million… eighty million… ninety million… one hundred million… and upon reaching its limit, it exploded. Washu shouted an obscenity at the surprise, but she was uninjured.

"What the hell is happening to him?!" Washu said, her eyes wider than they had ever been. "That scouter could go up to a hundred million, and he just made it explode!"

"What is happening to that man, D3?" Tokimi asked, continuing to monitor the battle. She had watched the entire fight, and at one point, expressed fear at Tenchi's abilities.

"I do not know, my lady," he replied. "His energy keeps going up. He has far surpassed Tenchi, and he's reaching the limit of our equipment."

"Keep measuring him. I want to see what is happening and I want a complete readout of his potential."

"Yes, Lady Tokimi."

Everybody continued to watch him in terrified awe, as a bolt of lightning struck the ground nearby and grew more intense in the atmosphere. His aura had become visible, however, this time it pulsed instead of roared around him. His energy was golden, instead of his usual green or red. The wind picked up around him a little and his hair stood on end, as if it were reaching to the sky. In a blinding golden flash and a shout from Russ, his hair changed from black to gold, his muscle mass doubled, and his eyes became sea green. As the flash dissipated, he stood, gold energy pulsing around him and his golden hair waving in the wake of his energy.

The monitors that were watching Russ began to short circuit and explode from his awesome transformation to super saiyan. After a hailstorm of sparks and flying glass only one monitor remained, fizzling, barely able to hold a steady picture.

"I don't believe it. There is an individual who possesses far more power than we thought," Tokimi said, calmly, but her face denied the fear that flooded her mind.

D3 watched dumbfounded, unable to come up with an explanation.

"Do not take any more readings of him. Just make a visual record for now and we'll have to estimate those energy levels," Tokimi ordered.

"Yes, my lady," he said, turning off all the scanning equipment.

Waking up from what felt like a dream world, Zorpheus felt no more pain. Feeling rather light and warm all over, he drew in another deep breath and let it out slowly, and then opened his eyes. Realizing that he was floating in water, he looked through the glass into the medical bay of the military's spaceport. Across the room from him, Pyramid was also sitting in a regeneration tank, just then regaining consciousness. Her eyes opened slowly and then fixated on Zorpheus. He smiled, and then realized that he still had an oxygen mask covering half his face, so he gave her a thumbs up. She did the same, and they both patiently waited for the doctors to release them from their tanks. The tanks began beeping and a nurse entered the room, noting their physical condition, and then programming the tanks to drain. A few moments later, the doors to both capsules opened, releasing them from their imprisonment. However, there was a slight problem.

"Aw, son of a… WHERE ARE MY CLOTHES!?" Zorpheus roared, suddenly realizing he was butt naked in front of several women. Quickly covering his private parts, his entire face became the shade of a well-done lobster, not even realizing that his artificial arm had been repaired.

However, Pyramid didn't have any qualms about getting out of her capsule. She looked at Zorpheus and giggled. "There's nothing to be ashamed of. We're all adults here," she said slyly, making her own face blush slightly and causing Zorpheus's face to almost turn purple.

"ARE YOU NUTS?" he shouted, looking like he was going to pass out. "If I were in front of guys, it wouldn't matter as much!"

Again, Pyramid giggled. "Embarrassed to be seen naked in front of a woman? Especially one that almost blew you away?"

Zorpheus shook his head rapidly and tried to hide behind the capsule. "No, that's not it, now will someone PLEASE bring me some clothes?"

The nurse shook her head and smiled, and then reached behind her that had a chair with a fresh change of clothes on it. She tossed it over the tank to Zorpheus, who speedily put all of it on. It wasn't quite his style of clothing, being a simple toga, but it was better than nothing. Slowly coming out from behind the capsule, he looked at Pyramid, who was smiling widely. Suddenly realizing that she was still naked, his eyes wandered downward to her chest.

"Mmmm, like what you see, Zorphy?" she asked, striking a pose.

Snapping his head up and looking her in the eyes, he again started blushing. "No. I mean, yes. I mean… I mean… uh… I have to go to the bathroom!" he said, racing out of the room and into the hallway.

"What a strange man," Pyramid said to the nurse, sounding disappointed. "I guess he's not interested. A pity." She put on her usual style of toga, as she had several pairs from having her clothes get disintegrated during her battles.

"I don't know," the nurse said, smiling. "I've never seen anyone turn as red as he did when he got an eyeful of you, and us of him. I think it's rather cute."

Sighing dreamily to herself, Zorpheus walked back into the room, his hair dripping wet.

"Um, what happened to you?" Pyramid asked.

Zorpheus waved his hand in front of her face. "Just don't ask," he mumbled, trying to not look at her. "At least you're dressed now."

Pyramid smiled and grasped his hand. "Would you please join me for dinner? I'd very much like that," she invited.

Again blushing, he nodded his head. "Okay. What's on the menu for tonight?"

"Well, what would you prefer? We have cuisines from several well known planets, including some really rare stuff from a planet far away from here, known as Terra."

Zorpheus cocked his eyebrow and looked at her curiously. "That planet wouldn't happen to also be known as Earth now, would it?"

Looking at him in surprise, she nodded her head. "Yes, actually. In reality, I really like their food. Even though it doesn't quite satisfy our nutritional needs, it tastes really good."

"I guess you got most of this stuff from the Americas then, am I right?" Zorpheus said, grinning.

"Right again! Come on," Pyramid said, leading Zorpheus out of the medical bay by the arm. "We'll go to my living quarters and eat there where it's nice and private."

"Uhhh, couldn't we just go to a cafeteria or something?" Zorpheus asked nervously, his eyes glancing downward to her rear end.

"Don't be so shy, Zorpheus. I don't bite," she whispered sensually, causing his skin to break out in goosebumps. Even though he tried to make himself not think about perverted things, he started to become aroused anyway, even though he continually commanded himself to make it stop.

"Are you nervous?" she giggled, now holding onto his entire arm, resting her orange head on his large shoulder. "We're just going to eat dinner. That's all… unless you want something… else… to happen," she whispered seductively.

Zorpheus swallowed loudly, his face becoming redder by the minute. He began to question himself as to why he shouldn't accept such an offer, after all, he IS the lady's man. The Love Machine is what Russ used to call him. However, he was unable to complete his train of thought as they had reached Pyramids quarters. She keyed in the unlock code and the door slid back into the wall, revealing absolutely extravagant living arrangements. The color scheme of the entire living room was gray, black, and white, but it suited it well. A huge entertainment center with a massive TV, stereo, and other various electronics were placed in it. A black leather couch was seated across from it, and a beautiful marble coffee table was sitting in front of that. A loveseat sat adjacent to the couch, and a recliner was situated across from the loveseat. It all sat on a gorgeous oriental style rug, which was all designed in gray and black. The walls were lined with shelves had quite a few items on them, including models of spaceships, several clocks, and other rare collectors items. Beautiful flowering plants were spaced perfectly throughout the room, being accented by recessed lighting in the ceiling. Blacklights were also used to accent the color of the plants, making them almost glow. Moving onto the kitchen, crystal glassware was lined up in the cupboards, pots and pans of all types were hanging on the wall, and the kitchen itself was absolutely huge. A six-burner stove with an oversized chefs oven was set into the counter, and an extra large sink was near that. The counter itself was nearly twenty feet long, and a large island sat on the other side of that, providing even more counter space and yet another stove. It was absolutely astounding.

Standing there gawking, Zorpheus barely heard Pyramid ask him if he wanted something to drink. "Oh, uh, sure. Orange juice, if you have it, please," he managed to ask, scratching the back of his head and smiling.

"Sure," she said, moving over to a hole in the wall. "Two orange juices, cold," she commanded the replicator. It hummed quietly and two tall glasses of OJ appeared, which she quickly grasped. She handed one of the glasses over to Zorpheus and took a sip out of hers.

Thankfully, the orange juice didn't have any pulp, Zorpheus thought to himself. He was startled out of his thoughts when Pyramid led him over to the couch and made him sit down. She took a seat right next to him and took another sip of her juice.

"So, how do you like my living quarters, Zorpheus? It's quite a bit overkill for me, but I like it," she said, scooting over, trying to get a little closer to Zorpheus, who watched her nervously out of the corner of his eye.

"It's extremely nice. I know Russ would really like the color scheme too. It's really, really nice," Zorpheus said, glancing once again around the room, taking in his large surroundings. "But no offense, I thought you'd prefer something a little more… colorful."

"I got the plants to break up the three primary colors of this room," Pyramid said, gesturing to the plants. A huge picture window was behind the couch that gave a huge view of the spaceport. Strangely enough, it was super quiet inside her quarters.

"I see. Very nice," he said, when his stomach croaked. He blushed slightly from embarrassment, and put his hand behind his head. "I guess I'm kind of hungry. I haven't eaten in three months," Zorpheus explained.

Pyramid looked at him in shock. "Three months?! My word, I will have to make you a huge feast in that case," she said, standing up and rushing to the kitchen. "Unfortunately, I don't have any fresh ingredients to make anything, so we're going to have to eat replicated food. But these ones are state of the art and can make anything taste perfectly, and not only that, it can make as much as we want. I don't know about you, but I have a voracious appetite!"

"You'd never know it by looking at you," Zorpheus said, suddenly realizing a nanosecond too late of what he said.

Pyramid blushed. "Thank you for the compliment, Zorphy. Now, what shall we eat for today?" she said, hitting several buttons on the replicator, programming it to make large quantities of food.

Lightning danced though the sky, clouds gathered and swirled around the entire valley, and the sky became an inky black, except for the horizon that glowed. Tenchi, Ryoko, Aeka, Sasami, and the two guardians looked at Russ in complete awe and fear, wondering what had happened to him. For the first time since he arrived, he became a super saiyan.

"What is this… energy?" Kain said to himself, looking at the golden haired fighter who stood a couple hundred feet away from him. He had never encountered another being capable of generating energy that could match the entire Jurian fleet, except during his original capture. But this guy was doing it all by himself. No galaxy police, no Jurians, just him. No external sources, nothing.

"You're dead, Kain," Russ growled, staring at the monstrous dragon. "Get ready to meet your maker."

Kain smiled, baring the hundreds of teeth that lined his jaw. Gathering up an astronomical amount of energy, he released a massive blast through his mouth, aimed directly at Russ. Everybody had screamed as the blast impacted where Russ was standing, sending up a huge explosion and rocking the local area, breaking windows on the Misaki home. Tenchi was healed at this point and he returned to his feet, summoning his lighthawk wings and shielding everybody from the resulting shockwave that erupted from the point of impact. They watched the spectacle in horror, as they had never seen Kain use that amount of energy before. The dust and debris was swiftly cleared away though, as the wind was quite strong. What they saw totally blew their minds. Russ floated directly over the blast site, as the ground had cratered under him. He was completely unscathed. Untouched, as if nothing had even happened. The ground directly behind him was perfectly fine, also untouched.

"WHAT?!" Kain roared, staring at him in utter surprise. "Impossible!"

Russ floated to the edge of the crater closest to Kain and landed, his poker face on and his hands at his sides, not even taking up any kind of defensive or offensive stance. His ki continued to burn brightly around him, illuminating the nearby ground.

Snarling menacingly, Kain pulled back his arm, and taking careful aim, he drove it directly at Russ, intending to smash him into paste. Everybody gasped when the claw stopped directly in front of Russ. He held it in his left hand, effortlessly. Kain continued to apply more and more pressure, straining to cause Russ damage, but he couldn't move.

Changing his poker face to an ice-cold grin, Russ squeezed the claw, causing a sharp pain to lance back into Kain as he roared in frustration. Squeezing harder, and as if breaking a toothpick, he tore off the claw, causing a massive spurt of purple blood to pour out of the hole where the claw used to be. Kain fell back, roaring in a horrid amount of pain. Tossing the claw into the air, Russ blasted it into nothingness with a small beam.

Sasami screamed in horror, but she continued to watch, transfixed on Russ's new form. Aeka, Ryoko, Tenchi, and Washu didn't say a word and watched with wide eyes, completely astounded as to what Russ had just done.

Regaining his footing, Kain stared at him in horror. However, Russ had put his poker face back on. "What are you?!" he rumbled, unable to fathom that he could be beaten this easily. Only Achika had possessed the strength and power to do him in before, and that was with the assistance of the master key.

Not answering, Russ got into a sprinting position, and then vanished. Everybody quickly looked around for him, and they noticed a golden glow directly in front of Kain's chest. A yellow streak marked his flightpath, leading their eyes directly to him, but they never saw him move. Russ floated in mid-air, his right arm completely buried in Kain's gut up to his shoulder. Kain didn't even realize where he had gone until he felt a pain start throbbing from his midsection. Russ backed off a bit, withdrawing his arm from the inside of Kain and causing another burst of purple goop from the hole that was caused. Russ's arm was covered in lilac-colored blood and it ran off of his fingers like miniature rivers. Feeling extreme pain from both his front and back, he realized that Russ had not only punched directly through his armor, but fired a ki blast directly out the back of him too.

Kain again roared as he fell onto his back, riving in pain. However, Russ grabbed one of his legs and started spinning, lifting him into the air as he spun faster and faster. Spinning at such a high rate of speed that it felt like the leg was going to be torn off of his body, he was flung far into the sky in the direction opposite from where Tenchi and the group were standing.

Russ floated about ten feet above the ground and watched the shrinking form of Kain. Slowly cupping his hands out in front of him, he swung his arms back down to his right side and quietly growled out his attack. "Ka… me… ha… me… ha," he said, the blue ball of energy in his hands glowing intensely, until he released it in an ultra huge beam, turning the entire landscape blue with the light from the Kamehameha wave. It roared out of his hands with such intensity that it created a shockwave, which peeled away some of the ground he was standing on. It was so massive that it made the house look tiny, being nearly sixty feet in diameter.

Kain was nearly two miles high, spinning out of control. Finally regaining his bearings, he stopped spinning and halted his ascent into the sky. However, his entire surrounding area became blanketed in intense blue light as Kain looked under him, seeing the leading bulge of the blast heading straight for him. Looking at it in terror, he could do nothing to stop its approach, and the last thing he saw was blinding blue light, the beam catching up to him and overtaking him, his body becoming vapor from the extreme energy. He roared, but nobody heard it as he was removed from existence, and ceased to live.

Russ continued to pour energy into the beam making absolutely, one hundred percent sure that Kain was dead. Discontinuing the beam a few moments later, he brought his hands back down to his side, landed on the ground, making his golden aura vanish. However, his yellow hair remained. The sky cleared up and became a dark violet, as the sun was setting in the distant horizon, casting a yellow glow on the battlefield. The birds began to sing once again, and the night insects began their nightly chorus. It was over. The A1 class criminal Kain had finally been defeated.

Letting his lighthawk wings fade away, Tenchi stood, completely astounded, as to what he had just seen. Washu, Aeka, Sasami, and Ryoko all shared his look, as they watched Russ look into the sky at Kain's last position where he had spent his last breath.

Slowly, Russ turned around and faced the crowd of baffled onlookers, causing them to gasp in surprise.

"His eyes are green…" Aeka whispered. "I would've never believed this if I hadn't seen it. I think we've been living with a god."

Washu glanced at Aeka. "You don't know how right you are, Princess," she said to herself. "I think Russ is a god, at least, compared to us. I hope my computers managed to capture all the data on this fight."

Russ made his way over to the group and came to a stop about five feet from in front of everybody, and he then smiled. "I win."

"That was a great meal, Pyramid. Thanks a lot. I very much appreciate it," Zorpheus said, from behind a stack of about fifty dishes. "It tasted like real food instead of replicated proteins 'n stuff."

Pyramid looked at him with a large sweatdrop on the side of her head, but she mustered a smile. "I'm glad you enjoyed it, Zorphy."

"Oh yeah. That was delicious." Letting out a large yawn, he stretched himself out, and then stood up from his position at the dinner table. "Thank you for the meal and the fight, Pyramid. I really do appreciate you going out of your way to do me both favors."

"It's nothing. You look tired. Would you like to spend the night and then you can leave tomorrow morning?" Pyramid offered, flashing him a seductive smile.

Zorpheus didn't notice it. "Thank you for the offer, but I must decline. I have to get going if I'm going to make it to Earth within a reasonable amount of time. It's probably still going to take me nine months to get there."

Getting up from her seat, she made her way over to Zorpheus and gently latched onto his arm, pressing her body against his. "Are you sure I can't change your mind?"

Suddenly realizing what she was after, Zorpheus shook his head. "I'm really sorry, and I don't mean to offend you, but I just look. I don't touch. I'm sure you have plenty of people around here who are attracted to you and stuff. What would happen if they saw you with me? Wouldn't that make them angry or possibly get you kicked out of the military?"

She shook her head and looked at him with sorrowful eyes. "I have no interest in any of these men at this place. All of them are weak and unattractive. You're the ONLY one who has been nice to me and not perverted like some of the other lechers here at the base. I really like that in you. Plus you're the only one who has ever defeated me in combat."

Zorpheus looked into her eyes that had nothing but sincerity, passion, and a desire for him. "Are you SURE you want this?"

Her face lit up like a firework on Jurai's Startica day. "Please?"

Struggling with his internal resolve, he let his heart decide for him. "Okay."

Letting out a deep sigh, Pyramid smiled and hugged him tightly. "Thank you."

Cupping his palm in front of him, but behind Pyramid, he concentrated, and like magic, a protective device appeared in his hand. He quickly closed his fingers around it and stealthily shoved it in his pocket.

Leading him to her bedchamber, Pyramid gestured to Zorpheus to lay down as she disappeared behind a bathroom door. Steeling himself up for this, he slowly let out deep breaths, trying to calm himself down. A few moments later, she reappeared out of the bathroom, lacking everything but herself.

"Lay down on your stomach, Zorpheus," she ordered softly. "And remove your toga. You won't need it."

Doing as he was told, he lay down on his stomach, resting his head on his pillow. He felt the bed sag a bit when Pyramid got up on it with him, and then felt her hands begin working his tense muscles, starting at his shoulders and working around his neck, and then slowly massaging down his back.

"Mmmm… that feels wonderful," Zorpheus mumbled, allowing his tense muscles to relax a bit.

"I've never done this before with anyone. I hope you enjoy it," she whispered into his ear, as she got on top of him, continually rubbing down his back, moving slowly and with steady hands. "So, tell me about where you're from, Zorphy. I'd like to learn a little bit about you and how you became a super saiyan and stuff."

Feeling her fingers work a knot out of his back, he groaned in relaxation. "Well, where should I begin…" he started, thinking back a way. "Well, I was born on a planet far, far away from my home world of Vegeta."

Pyramid smiled as she continued to work the knots out of his back. "That's a good start. Keep going," she encouraged softly.

Zorpheus smiled. "As you wish."

"Russ? How come your hair is yellow?" Sasami asked, looking at the saiyan as if he were someone else, but in complete awe.

Grinning, he knelt down to her level. "This is what I look like when I become a super saiyan," he answered. "Right now, I'm so strong that I could annihilate this planet simply by punching it. It's somewhat difficult to control energy like this, so I prefer not to take this form unless I have to."

Aeka looked at him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "So you're a super saiyan right now?"

Russ returned to his full height, which was about an inch taller than he was before, and he turned his attention to the Jurian princess. "Yeah. My eyes turn green and my hair gold. My energy turns gold too, as you had seen, and my muscle mass almost doubles."

"I can't believe you defeated Kain so easily," she said, shaking her head and collapsing to her knees, holding her head in amazement. She looked at him with sad, sparkling eyes, and sniffled. "I'm sorry I couldn't help you, Russ. You don't need me, that's for sure."

Catching him completely off guard, Russ looked at her in stunned silence, his jaw hanging slightly open. "No, no, no," he began. "You're my friend and I protect my friends. You didn't need to get involved. No princess should have to get involved in something like that. That's what I'm here for." Russ smiled and lifted her chin up, being extremely careful not to exert any energy or excess force. "I need you to be my friend. That's all. I have had so few in my life, and it's wonderful to be here with you and everybody else. I don't want anything to change, and I'll make certain that it doesn't."

"Hey Russ," Washu asked, looking at him as she continued archiving the battle on her computer. "Are you still more powerful than what you had just shown us?"

Russ smirked. "That's for me to know and you to find out."

Washu glared at him. "I do have other ways of finding out, you know. With, or without your help."

Russ stuck his tongue out at her and gave her a raspberry. "Ask me if I care, Washu," he snapped. "I really can't stand… ergh. Never mind!" he growled, turning away from her. "Go back to your lab and do whatever it is you do."

"Humph. See if I do you any more favors," Washu snapped.

"Favors don't usually require a form of payment, Washu," Russ shot back.

Watching the red haired scientific genius call up several commands on her computer, she placed her finger over a particular key and glowered at Russ. "If you don't show me more respect, I'll turn you into a water sprite!"

Russ turned toward her, his face a mask of anger. Raising his hand, he pointed it directly at her computer. "Do it and I'll vaporize your computer," he snarled. "My beam is much faster than your finger. And if you continue to threaten me, I'll do something we'll both regret."

Looking at him in surprise and shock, she couldn't come up with a suitable retort. "You're not serious, are you?"

"Do I look serious?" he growled.

Thinking twice about threatening him, she lowered her hand and banished her computer back into subspace. "Okay, you win. You should still be more respectful to me though."

"I'd be more respectful if you were less arrogant and selfish," Russ returned, still glaring at her with his green eyes. "I appreciated the very few favors that you have done and I have always thanked you for them, and I'd do you favors if you needed them. A thank you would be nice for saving your life and cleaning up your mistake, Washu."

Caught slightly off guard, her face went blank and she slowly made her way back to the house, not wanting to argue the point any further. She didn't say a word.

"Why did you do that? You know I hate it when people fight," Sasami whined, pulling on Russ's gi. "Why don't you like Washu?"

"I'm sorry Sasami, but she knows how to push all the right buttons with me to get me riled up. She just… irritates the heck out of me," Russ explained. "I hate asking her for favors because she always wants something in return. I do favors because I want to, and don't expect anything in return."

"Well, anyway," Ryoko said, heading off the carnage. "It's all over. Kain is finally dead and we don't ever need to worry about him ever again. I'm so relieved over that. Thank you, Russ. You saved my Tenchi and you saved me too. I don't know how we can ever repay that debt."

Russ facefaulted. "Didn't I just get finished saying that I don't expect repayment for favors?" Russ said, looking at Aeka, asking her a rhetorical question and smiling. "Not to worry. We're all safe and sound, for now. However, I still have a far greater challenge waiting me," Russ said, looking skyward. "I felt Zorpheus's power before Kain appeared. He's coming here, but he's still very, very far away. But he is coming, and he is strong. I've got a major fight on my hands when he gets here."

"Will you have to become a super saiyan to fight him like you did with Kain?" Sasami asked, continuing to admire his golden hair.

"Yes. He too can transform into a super saiyan," Russ said, trying to smile. "Man, Washu really ruined the mood. I guess I'll turn back to normal now," he said, de-energizing. His hair became black, his extra muscle mass vanished, and his eyes returned to black as well.

"That's so amazing," Tenchi said, watching Russ. "But I must apologize for Washu. She doesn't mean anything by her arrogance, and she does usually know what is best. Sometimes she does get snippy. Don't take it personally."

"I know, I know. Belch. Well, I'm hungry! What do we got to eat around here?" he asked cheerily, causing everybody to fall over.

"I really enjoyed that, Zorphy. Nobody has ever done that with me before. It felt really good, and you're good at it too," Pyramid said, laying next to Zorpheus on her bed. It was late and the sun had gone down, blanketing the base in darkness. "Are you sure you don't want to spend the night?"

Realizing that all she had wanted was a full body massage, he sighed in relief. But he was really sleepy. "If you don't mind, then I don't. I haven't had a good nights rest in a long, long time. I haven't slept in a bed in what feels like years."

Pyramid giggled. "Well, you're welcome to stay here with me," she said softly, cuddling up next to him. "Get yourself a good night's rest, and I'll make you breakfast in the morning."

Smiling, Zorpheus nodded his head. "Okay." After lying there quietly for a few minutes, he spoke up once again. "Pyramid?"

"Hmm?" she asked, her voice barely a murmur.

"Thanks again."

Moaning very softly, she fell asleep on Zorpheus's shoulder, cuddled up against him.

Glancing down on her sleeping form, he smiled. She reminded him of a small child, afraid of being left alone. If she weren't a Cell, he'd probably be very attracted to her. Mostly for the sex, of course, but he couldn't bring himself to take advantage of her. He blushed furiously at where his thoughts were going, but it felt good and fun. Too bad Russ was such a stiff. He could really have a good time if he'd just loosen up a little.

Lying awake in bed a little longer, Zorpheus's thoughts continued to drift, and his thoughts wandered on the planet he was on before he arrived at Xnafu. Remembering the man he had killed just because he didn't know about the Dragonballs kept nagging him at the back of his mind, and he knew what he had done was really bad and evil.

"I'm not that way," he said to himself, being extra quiet as to not wake Pyramid. He regretted killing that man, as he could've had a wife and family, and he took him away from them. "I can't believe I did that."

Rubbing his forehead with his free hand, he said a silent prayer to himself, hoping the man he had killed had gone to a better place, and then he said a second one, asking for forgiveness. He realized that he was going to really have to keep his temper in check, especially on this planet. However, the next planet that he was going to head off to was Earth. A non-stop flight there would take him about nine months, or possibly a little sooner. The upcoming battle there made him remember all the times he had with Russ before they learned about the Dragonballs.

They were an unstoppable team. The two of them worked like a well-oiled machine, always taking turns or double-teaming at the most appropriate times, and never being defeated. However, he was always the one with the quick tongue. Whenever they'd get into an insult war, he always put Russ to shame. Also having a knack for chemistry and other science, he was a bit smarter to Russ when it came to that. Russ was talented too, having great taste in music and being able to play nearly everything that he heard. He could sing too, which was very impressive for a saiyan. But, all that talent aside, they were both nearly equal warriors. Whenever they'd spar or get into a major fight, it usually came out in a stalemate, or one would beat the other, but barely, and after that, the victory usually went the other way. They had some great sparring matches together too. He still remembered the very first time they used their signature attacks against each other… his Holy Raze up against Russ's Buster Cannon. They both ran out of energy before either attack hit each other, the two beams fizzling out, causing no damage at all. They both went to the risqué bar after that and enjoyed a drink together. Russ's was non-alcoholic, of course. He chuckled to himself over how Russ was always so uptight about stuff like that. It was amusing, but annoying too. Fortunately, he didn't try to force others to be like him, so for the most part, it was easy to deal with.

He missed those times. Happy that he was going to see Russ again, but dreading it at the same time, he wondered exactly what was going to happen. Russ was probably training really hard, and he wondered how much he could've progressed, or how much he will progress within the next nine months. Since he was going to be in stasis for the duration of the trip, his training will be on hold. Fortunately, after that fight with Pyramid, his strength had gone way up, so figuring that he should be all set, he decided not to concern himself over it.

Pyramid shifted positions next to him and moaned very softly, a smile on her lips. "She's cute, for looking like an orange Cell anyway," he said to himself, as he closed his eyes and dozed off for the night.

After a filling dinner Russ went back outside, surveying the damage from the earlier confrontation, using the bright moonlight to see. After that time on Startica when Sasami had her nightmare, that thought had always been buried in the back of his mind and he was unable to forget about it. It was freaky that a little girl was able to predict the future so far in advance, however inaccurate. She had said that he wasn't supposed to be here and that everybody had been murdered at the hands of that monster. Fortunately, that never came to pass.

It was remarkable how Tenchi had transformed into… whatever it was that he had become. Those blades that had protected him were a remarkable manifestation of Jurai power. Not only did it block any energy blast that came near them, it transformed that energy into something harmless, causing no extra or unnecessary damage. It just bled away like a lightning bolt does when it hits a lightning rod on a tall building.

Making his way over to his tree, he leapt into the air and landed on his favorite set of branches, which allowed him to sit comfortably in any posture he wanted. Placing his chin in his palm, he sat yoga style and continued to ponder the events from earlier in the evening. Curious about the limitations of the lighthawk wing's power, he was unable to figure out how Kain had managed to cause Tenchi any damage.

He had never encountered another being like Kain before. His energy level had never changed throughout the whole battle, but yet his attack strength varied. Figuring that he had a way of controlling how much energy he put into an attack had made the most sense, since he could do that himself. However, Kain never really felt all that powerful, but he had quite an arsenal of attacks and abilities. Kiyone had once described Kain in detail for him and some of his known abilities, as he had asked her about a month after the Startica festival. Some of those abilities were far beyond what he could do himself, such as time travel. Kiyone had given him a full report on the incident that happened about two or three years ago.

His thoughts were interrupted by the approach of someone, who he quickly identified by the energy as Ryoko.

"Hey Russ? What are you doing up there?" she asked, looking up at him from the ground.

He smiled. "Just thinking."

"Oh… would… Uhh, would you mind a little company?" she asked, hesitatantly.

"Come on up and find a branch," Russ invited.

She floated up to his level and sat on a nearby limb, keeping cat-like balance on the small piece of wood. "Thanks."

"What's on your mind? You look a little sad."

Ryoko looked at him and managed a smile, which quickly faded away. "I wanted to apologize for threatening to kill you when Tenchi had gotten hurt, and you got in my way. I just… care for him so much and I'd do anything for him, including dying. I never want to see anything happen to him, but I'm sorry for saying what I said. I was upset."

Russ nodded his head. "I understand. I've never cared about someone strong enough to die for them, unfortunately. I only cared about one other, and when she died, I went berzerk and tore apart the man she was fighting. That's how I became a super saiyan. Zorpheus couldn't believe what I had done."

"I thought you were never involved?" Ryoko questioned.

"It was a lot like it is between myself and Aeka at this point," Russ described.

"Oh…" she answered. "I just… don't know what I'd do without him," she said, her voice wavering as a tear trickled from her eye. She drew her knees up to her chest and hugged them tightly. "He's the only one who ever showed me kindness… true kindness, and not someone who wanted something in return. I fell in love with him on the first day I laid eyes on him."

Russ smiled. "I heard about that story. You were drunk at that time too, weren't you?"

Letting out a soft giggle, she sniffled and smiled. "Yeah. Mihoshi had chased me down to this planet and I crashed, but Tenchi was the one who found me first. He gave me some water and asked me if I was okay. Nobody, and I mean nobody, had done that for me in my life. And he was happy that I was okay. That's all I needed."

"Hmmm. That must've been quite a meeting. But anyway, you two have been actually been a couple for a little over a year now, right?"

"About a year and three months, yeah."

"But you never did 'this and that' kind of thing until I showed up though, right?"

Blushing slightly, she blinked, looking away shyly. "That's none of your business."

Russ chuckled. "Sorry. I didn't mean anything by it. Do you two have any marriage plans?"

Ryoko shook her head. "I think he's too nervous to ask me, and from what I understand about the culture on this planet, it's improper for the woman to ask the guy."

"Since when as that stopped you from what you wanted?" Russ questioned, grinning.

"I just… I don't know," she answered, looking out over the lake, the pale moonlight shining off of the ripples in the water.

Russ studied her for a few minutes. "There is another reason, isn't there? I can feel it. What's wrong, Ryoko?"

Looking into his black eyes, she sighed. "Tenchi and I are not quite… compatible. We can never have children, and that's one thing that I had wanted since coming to live with him."

Russ's happy mood melted away and he became quiet. "Can't your mother figure out a way to make it happen?"

"She gave me some reasons that I couldn't understand and didn't make any sense. You know how she is. She gets all technical and starts sprouting off things that any normal person wouldn't understand," Ryoko mumbled. "I hate it when she does that. And she never even tried to help me."

"I'm sure she would've, if she could've. Even though she is selfish at times, I think she'd really try to help you if she could. It surprises me that she can't make it happen though. She IS the smartest person I've ever known," Russ said, looking up the mountain at the shrine. A yellow light glowed in the window. "It looks like Lord Katsuhito hasn't gone to bed yet."

They sat in silence a few more moments. "Does Tenchi know that you cannot have children with him?" Russ asked, looking her in the eyes.

Ryoko shook her head. "He thinks I'm just taking preventative measures to keep from becoming pregnant. He said he didn't want children until we were married. The problem is, even if he does ask me, I still cannot have children and that's something I don't want to have to tell him. It may change the way he feels about me."

"I doubt that. Tenchi seems to be the kind of person who, when he has made a choice, is going to stick with it. He cares about other people's feelings and I know he wouldn't care if you could have kids or not. He loves you for who you are."

Sitting quietly for another few minutes, Ryoko broke the silence. "It's a nice night. Warm, a very light breeze blowing, and a beautifully clear sky," Ryoko said, gazing up at the stars. "I remember travelling those stars. I never stayed in one place for very long, always being on the run from Nagi or the Galaxy Police. Even after all of this time, it still feels strange to call this backwater planet, home."

Russ smiled, the moonlight accentuating his facial features. "This is my home. I was born here, as my parents had come here a long time ago, and this is where I wish to live out my days. It's nice to travel from time to time, but I always somehow find my way back here."

Smiling, Ryoko watched him from over her knees, but again, her smile disappeared. "I'm sorry for burdening you with my troubles. I just…"

"It's okay," Russ interrupted. "I'm no psycatrist, but I can tell when someone needs to talk and have an available ear to listen. If you ever have something that is troubling you, feel free to come talk to me. I won't say a word to anybody else about it too."

Watching him with sad eyes, she sniffled. "You're a lot like Tenchi, but even I can't tell him everything that bothers me."

"If you need someone to talk to, anytime, anywhere, just let me know. Everybody has demons that they want to chase away, and talking about them usually helps."

Ryoko yawned and stretched herself out, keeping her balance on the tree limb. "I feel better now that I have apologized and having you listen to my troubles. Aeka has found a real keeper in you," she added.

Russ closed his eyes a moment and slowly reopened them, those same, sad eyes that Aeka herself had seen several times before. Catching her offguard with his look, Ryoko became concerned.

"Is there something that you want to tell me?" she offered.

Realizing his appearance, Russ forced a smile and a light chuckle. "No, I'm okay. Just remembering a great many things that happened a long time ago."

Ryoko looked at his face and she knew he was lying, but she decided not to go into it. Instead, she made the same offer that he made her. "I may not be the worlds greatest listener, but you're welcome to come talk with me if you're feeling down. Even you must get upset sometimes."

Russ nodded his head. "Yeah, I do get upset from time to time, but there is really nothing I can do about it. I've had a lot of stuff happen to me, and I'm sure you have as well. Anyway, I do appreciate the offer. Thanks."

"You're a part of the family now, or at least I like to think so. You're never mean, you entertain us with your music, and you're a wonderful person to Sasami. I haven't seen her so full of life before, until you came along. She talks about you all the time when you're training out here. She loves having you show her how to make new dishes of food, watch anime with her, or play games. A lot of times she calls you her big brother," Ryoko added, smiling. "And Aeka loves your company too. She's always wondering where you are and she worries about you. I swear, she's going to get wrinkles if you keep stressing her out like this." Ryoko them started laughing.

Russ grinned. "I had no idea Sasami thought of me like that. She's such a sweet girl, always happy and always willing to lend a helping hand. She has similar interests as I do, and she's a great friend. I never really thought of her as a sister, but I can see how she could think I'm her brother. Except the spiky hair makes me look more like YOUR brother, Ryoko," Russ added, laughing.

Giggling, Ryoko smiled. "I did notice that. My mother's hair is also spiky. I just wish I knew if I had or knew who my father was."

"That was something else that I've heard about, but never bothered to investigate further. It's none of my business and I don't want to dredge up old feelings about that stuff."

"It would've been okay. Just my mother is so secretive about so much stuff. She refuses to reveal anything. I think it has to do with the child she lost a long, long time ago," Ryoko said, a distant look in her eyes.

"Washu told me about that on the first day we met. I'm sure that to a mother, losing a child is the greatest heartache of all. Nothing could possibly be any worse than that. She'd probably go insane if she lost you, Ryoko."

"Hah! Not MY mother," she spat, looking out over the lake.

"I know she doesn't seem to appreciate you, but I'm certain that she cares for you like only a mother could," Russ said quietly, trying to calm her down. "It's just a shame that Washu refuses to show it."

"I know. But anyway," she said, floating up into the air. "I should be getting back into the house and get ready for bed. Tenchi is probably wondering where I'm at. Are you coming in now?"

Russ shook his head. "No, I think I'm going to stay out here a little longer. The weather is so perfect and the moonlight really makes this place beautiful. And… I also want to be alone for a little while longer, I guess." Smiling, Russ put up his hand. "Bah. Go on inside. Don't worry about me. I'll probably come inside a little later. Good night, Ryoko. Sleep well."

Her face hiding her emotions, she smiled. "Thanks again, Russ. Goodnight," she said before vanishing, teleporting herself back inside the house.

Russ sighed, alone once more, his face going back to that thoughtful, faraway, and depressed expression.

"Wake up, Zorpheus," Pyramid said, shaking the sleeping saiyan back and forth like a dead weight. After shaking him for nearly two minutes straight, she gave up. Giggling, she grabbed her pillow and began beating Zorpheus over the head with it.

"Ugh, what the… I'm under attack!" he yelled, putting up his arms in defense as the pillow came down on his face again and again. It ceased a moment later.

"Good grief! You give a whole new meaning to sleeping like a log," Pyramid laughed, tossing her pillow back onto the bed. "Breakfast is ready! Come and get it!"

"Okay, okay," Zorpheus mumbled, sitting up and rubbing the sleep from his eyes, then letting out a huge yawn. He stretched himself out, raising his arms as far as they would go over his head and stretching his legs out under the covers, groaning the whole time.

"Are you awake yet?" Pyramid said, standing in the doorway, striking a pose.

Zorpheus just gave her a sour look, and managed a fake smile. "I'm not a morning person."

Giggling, Pyramid held up a spatula. "Well, at least I got you awake. Come on and eat before it gets cold. Oh, and your clothes have been mended. They're there on that chair," she said, pointing to a recliner in the corner of the bedroom.

Zorpheus raised his eyebrows in surprise, and then smiled. "Awesome. I'll be out in a few moments."

Pyramid left the door and shut it behind her, making her way back to the kitchen. Speedily getting out of the bed and putting on his clothes, Zorpheus checked himself in the mirror before leaving the bedroom. Quickly making his way to the table, he sat down at one of the chairs, grabbed his fork and knife, and began beating the table in a steady rhythm, chanting "Food" the whole time. Pyramid got a kick out of it, and she quickly set a stack of about ten pancakes in front of him. In about five seconds, the stack was polished off and eaten. Pyramid had sat down and finished her pancakes in about ten seconds. She got up, made another order of the flapjacks, and the same scenario played out a good five times.

Breakfast pretty much progressed in that manner until they were finished. Moving back into the living room, Zorpheus took a seat on the couch, and then let out a belch that could've started an earthquake. Pyramid had sat down with him and did the same thing. Looking at her in surprise, they both exploded laughing.

"Good breakfast," they said in unison.

Zorpheus laughed. "Thank you. That was very kind of you to go out of your way to make me breakfast. I'm sure we started a ton of rumors around the base now that you haven't been seen since yesterday."

"I don't care about that. If they have something to say, I'll just blow them up." She then laughed.

Zorpheus sighed. "Man, nine months of dead sleep is what I have to look forward to when I leave. It sucks."

Pyramid held onto his muscular arm and rubbed it affectionately. "You don't have to leave soon, do you?"

"The sooner I leave, the sooner I can get to Earth."

"Awww. Do you have to leave now or can you stay a little while longer?"

Zorpheus laughed. "I'll stay a little while longer, and then I have to get going, okay?"

"Yay!" she shouted. "Want to watch some TV or anything? I rarely turn on the dumb thing since I'm usually busy with other stuff."

"Well, let's see what's on," Zorpheus said, picking up the remote and turning the TV on. Flipping through a few stations, he turned to Gundam Wing. "Oh wow, you guys have anime here? That's really unusual."

Pyramid laughed. "Yeah. Even though Earth doesn't really know about extraterrestrial beings yet, we manage to steal all of their entertainment off of their satellites."

"You guys are evil," he responded with a grin. "What about you? What's your favorite program?"

"I really don't have one, but I too have a love for anime. Gundam Wing is pretty neat. Just those gundams of theirs are near invincible."

Zorpheus grinned. "They wouldn't stand a chance against us," he chuckled.

"Of course not. No anime character can stand against us. Earth just doesn't have a concept of real strength yet."

"I suppose not. Well, I guess we can watch this for a while."

After watching the episode of Gundam Wing, Zorpheus and Pyramid had made their way outside of the spaceport. Lifting off, they flew back to his spacepod, where he had originally fought Jordan. The craters that were caused by their battle had already begun to vanish, being covered in vegetation, as the holes seem to magically fill themselves in.

"Well," Zorpheus said, opening up the hatch of his pod. "I really had a nice time with you. Thanks again for training with me and showing me that unpronounceable superbomb of yours. That's quite an attack."

Pyramid bowed proudly and smiled. "Will I ever see you again? Will you come back and visit me sometime?"

"I don't know. Our paths may cross once again," he said, putting a foot into his pod.

Pyramid grabbed his arm and yanked him out, grabbing his other arm with her hand. She pulled him down to her height, and then mashed her lips onto his, Zorpheus's face becoming total astonishment and surprise.

After a moment she released him, and smiled. "I hope you do remember me, Zorphy. I had a great time with you and would love to see you again."

"I… I… uh…" he stuttered. Clearing his head, he let out a huge sigh, and then grinned. "I had a great time too. I'll try to make time to come back and see you once again. Here," he said, handing over a card with a bunch of information printed on it. "This is my spacecraft's communication frequency. Use this if you want to get in touch with me sometime. Just not within the next nine months because I'll be in stasis."

Grasping the card and holding it to her heart, she nodded her head. "See you around?"

"Most definitely."

Pyramid smiled, and allowed a tear to drip from her eye. "Have a safe trip. You know where to find me if you want to progress to step two…"

Lifting off and rocketing back to the base, a violet ki streak marking her flightpath, Zorpheus watched her until he couldn't see her anymore. Sighing deeply, he stepped into his spacecraft and lifted off, shooting back into outerspace. Keying in several other commands, he initiated the voice commands for the computer."

"Voice commands ready."

"Computer, set new default. Leave voice commands on."

"Affirmative," it responded.

Zorpheus stared at the computer in astonishment. "Wow, I didn't know you could do that. Cool. Anyway, computer, plot a course for Earth and head there."

"Affirmative."

"Initiate stasis sleep. Set wakeup time to thirty minutes before landing," Zorpheus commanded.

"Affirmative. Now initiating stasis sleep," it said, letting the purple gas hiss into the cockpit. Zorpheus's vision grew blurry, and then he fell asleep, his bodily functions ceasing to work as he went into hibernation.

"Stasis sleep confirmed," his computer announced to nobody. "Estimated time to arrive on Planet Earth: nine months, two days."


	15. Christmas

Ep 15 - Christmas

You guys are still reading this story?!?! Well, I'm flattered, in that case. Tenchi is copyrighted Pioneer and DBZ is copyrighted by Funimation. I've got a new email address now, which is . Use that from now on to send me questions/comments/friendly criticism/fanmail. My Mediaone address is going bye bye as a result of a cable company merger, but I bought a domain name that can forward email to any account I want. Anyway, enjoy the final chapters of the story. Only about 2 – 4 left to go…

Feel free to come visit my website .net or .net:81. It's a massive Tenchi website consisting of MP3s, video clips, over 19,000 screenshots, character descriptions, and much more, including additional fanfics by other authors.

It was the morning of December 24, the day before Christmas. The sun had already crested the mountains and had begun shining its rays of life into the windows of the Masaki home. But despite its life giving energy, most of the vegetation outside of the house was brown, hibernating for the long winter. Frost covered most of the dead, dried up leaves that remained on the bushes and carpeted the grass in a sparkling sea of silver light. The lake was frozen solid, waiting for the spring thaw. The temperature outside was considerably below freezing, and there was no wind. However, one particular individual had one of the weirdest sleeping habits out of anybody most people have ever seen.

Sleeping soundly with his window wide open, Russ was contentedly sawing logs under his mountain of covers. A very light coating of frost was on his comforter, but it didn't intrude into the room any further than that. He had his heat vent turned off since he had the battle with Kain, and had slept with his window open every day since that point, and his fan was turned on, but wasn't blowing on him. Sasami, Aeka, Ryoko, and Tenchi all couldn't figure out how he could tolerate that level of coldness in his room, especially when he occasionally complained that it was too cold in the living room. Whenever one of them was sent to wake him, they'd usually wind up fighting over it because nobody wanted to go into a room where the temperature was as cold as it was outside.

Ryoko tried to do it once, but she wasn't able to wake Russ up and she chickened out and ran back to Tenchi, complaining that it was far too cold for her to go in there and that it would take far too long to rouse the sleeping saiyan out of his heavy doze.

Aeka had done it on several occasions, but she'd always dress up like she was going outside before venturing into his room. Putting on her heavy coat and mittens, she'd go into his room, spend about five minutes shaking Russ to no avail, and then finally just throw off all of his covers. That usually got him up in about five seconds, causing him to run out of the room shivering cold. But it put him in a bad mood for part of the day. He hated being woken up for any reason. Like most people, he preferred to wake up on his own.

Sasami, on the other hand, was a bit more creative in getting Russ awake. Her favorite way was simply putting Ryo-Ohki on Russ's face, patiently waiting for him to have his allergic reaction to the cabbit. After about five minutes, he'd start sneezing and then drag himself out of bed. Despising that method the most, Russ would usually try to think of some way to get revenge on the sneaky princess for each and every time he woke up in a fit of sneezing. And of course, because Russ hated it so much, it quickly became her favorite.

Opening his door and stepping out into the warm hallway, letting out a huge rush of freezing cold air, Russ let out a gigantic yawn and raised his arms over his head, letting out a deep groan in a revitalizing stretch, closed his bedroom door, and then began to trudge to the bathroom in a daze. Exercising and pushing himself to his limits completely wore him out on a daily basis. Finally taking Washu's gravity machine to its peak of two thousand times normal Earth gravity, he had asked the scientist if she could make it any more powerful, but she said that doing so would be impossible. Plus she didn't have a power source large enough to make it any stronger, nor could she use Russ's own energy to power it. Disappointed, he didn't argue with her, but he did continue to use it at its maximum level, even though it wasn't giving him as much benefit as it used to. He did figure that she was fibbing slightly and just didn't want to help, but he kept his mouth shut, deciding to just deal with the setback.

Slowly making his way downstairs, he glanced into the living room, which was empty of life, but looked absolutely beautiful. A tall Christmas tree stood in the corner of the room where the TV used to be, and there were many decorations hung around the room as well. Garland was strung up on the banister and several ornaments were hanging off of that, and a small bunch of mistletoe was hanging over the kitchen door. Various other figurines and decorations were strategically placed throughout the room, and it looked absolutely perfect. An enormous stack of presents was positioned under and around the Christmas tree, all waiting to be opened on Christmas Day.

Looking from side to side cautiously, Russ made his way over to the gifts, eyeballing the various nametags, trying to figure out who got whom what. Several large packages were marked with Sasami's name and smaller, flat presents had Tenchi's, Ryoko's, Aeka's, Nobuyuki's, Lord Katsuhito's, and Washu's names on them. However, try as he did, he couldn't find one with his name on it. But there were still more presents under the ones on top, and since he didn't want to disturb the setting, he assumed that at least one of them were probably for him.

He had already gone shopping for everybody, buying each person something that he figured they'd want. Having bought Sasami a new winter coat and mittens, he thought she'd like that because he overheard the princess complain that her current one was getting a little small and she was tired of the colors. For the others, he bought Aeka a new kimono, colored green, gray, and red. For Mihoshi, three boxes of those chocolate, caramel, and pecan turtle candies. Russ was almost going to keep a box since he was crazy about those too. He bought Nobuyuki a new set of architect tools and pencils, and he bought Katsuhito a gag gift of a Hawaiian shirt, khaki shorts, and cool set of sunglasses. Russ started snickering quietly to himself as he pictured the wizened man in those clothes. Ryoko was a tough one to buy for, but he settled on a new chick-flick movie that had come out, and he bought Tenchi a new style of karate gi that had come out only recently. It was very colorful and had a few interesting designs on it in kanji. One of the symbols on the shoulder had read Tenchi, and he figured that it was very cool and that Tenchi would like it. He bought Kiyone a gift certificate for two to a very high-class restaurant in Tokyo, hoping that it would cheer her up a bit. She was down in the dumps for a little while, but she had come out of it about a week ago. The stress from her financial troubles was starting to get to her. Shopping for Washu was fun to say the least. Surfing the Internet at a local library, he came across a website that had geek-oriented merchandise. There, he managed to find a watch that would tell time in binary. Smiling the whole time he filled out the order form, he knew he found the perfect gift for her.

Yawning once again, Russ turned away from the tree and made his way to the bathroom, intending to take a nice, hot shower to start the day. Even though it was the day before Christmas, he felt that he had to get in a little bit of training. There was really nothing else to do. He did have his share of chores around the house, which mainly consisted of sweeping leaves off of the path and stairway to the shrine. It was a piece of cake for him since he used his energy to create a massive amount of wind that simply cleared the steps of the debris. Tenchi glared at him and was a bit jealous, since it usually took him at least an hour to do the steps alone, and Russ could do it in ten minutes or less.

Reaching the bathroom door, Russ slid it back into the wall, noticed that it went into the women's bath again, and he slid it shut without even peering inside. Trying again, he re-opened the door into the men's bath and he stepped inside, shedding his clothes and turning on the hot water. This was the third time that someone has tried to trick him into going into that bath. Having never peered inside, he knew if he did, one of the girls would've probably been in there and the last thing he wanted to be accused of was being a peeping tom. However, he could never figure out who kept doing that. He stepped into the steam that came from the hot water and allowed his body to relax, letting the near-scalding water run over his muscular frame and drip into the bathtub below.

"Dammit, I can never trick him into coming in here," Aeka muttered to herself, looking at the closed door and listening to the quiet echo of the running water from the men's bath. Having become more aggressive in her pursuit of Russ's affections, she had begun to try various things to get his attention. Her latest thing was leaving the bathroom door open a very slight crack, which would cause the dimension shift to not occur, and would allow Russ to open the door to the wrong bathroom. However, all three times, Russ just looked into the room and closed the door, matter of factly, as if he expected it. Maybe next time she'd ask Washu to make the door open to the women's bath for him no matter what he did, just for a day. She was having a lot of fun teasing him.

He never seemed to mind her physical touch, though, so that was a good thing. On occasion, she'd hang on his arm or hug him when she was feeling down, and he always returned the attention, but only as a friend and not as someone who wanted something more. It drove Aeka nuts, but she did a great job of concealing it from Russ. He had no idea about how she desired him, both physically and emotionally. He was, without a shadow of a doubt, the most handsome, well-built, interesting man she had ever known. Easy going, always caring, and a little mischievous, he was what she was looking for. Tenchi was too, even though Tenchi was a little more stiff and strict, but that was of a time long passed and she figured it was time to move onto other things. He was Ryoko's, but someone had come along to fill that void. At least, she hoped he would.

Sighing to herself, she lay back in the warm water and stared at the ceiling, letting her mind wander, still listening to the soft patter of water from the adjacent bath. "What is it going to take to make him love me?" she quietly said to herself, listening to her voice reverberate around the bathroom. Looking into the clear water at her legs, she rubbed them gently. They were much stronger than they used to be, as she had trained with Russ on many occasions. She still maintained her soft, alabaster skin and gorgeous figure, but she could feel the added strength throughout her body and spirit. Training with him was not only fun, but it also gave her something to do and look forward to. Of course, the real reason behind it all was to be closer to Russ. She blushed slightly and smiled, knowing that he probably enjoyed her company as well. He was as good of a talker was he was a listener. She always had stories to tell him and things of wonder to describe, and he always listened to all of it. It was wonderful to have someone who seemed to show genuine interest in the things she had to say. It made her feel good, and he was good at making her happy.

Getting up out of the water, she stepped over the tiles with her bucket of cleaning products and began to wash herself, carefully lathering her violet hair. The foam built up and plopped off of her head in sudsy globs, covering the tile next to her. Doing her best to avoid tangling her silky smooth hair, she continued to run her fingers through it in a steady rhythm, becoming a little envious of Tenchi and Ryoko. They had both, on multiple occasions, invaded the women's bath to wash each other, but in Aeka's eyes, they were too busy playing to really clean themselves up. Whenever they'd both come into the bath, Aeka would shyly cover her womanhood, blushing the whole time, and quickly dress herself and then vacate the bath. Tenchi would never look, much to her relief, but Ryoko would always poke fun at her, asking her if she was embarrassed to show Tenchi what she was made of. Unconsciously scrubbing her hair a little harder, she realized what she was doing when her head started to hurt a little. But a few moments later, she sadly looked at the empty space next to her, wishing that one day that Russ may want to be by her side for the same thing. Grabbing her bucket, she filled it with the warm water from the bath and dumped it over her head, rinsing out a tremendous amount of lather. She dumped a second bucket over her head to make sure she got all the soap out, and then she began to wash her body, carefully scrubbing every single portion of her skin, being careful to work around the necklace that Tenchi and Ryoko had given her almost half a year ago.

"I hope he gives me a sign one of these days that he's willing to accept me into his heart," Aeka thought to herself. Looking to see that wonderful smile of his every day of her life was something that she wanted more than anything, and she had to find a way to make it happen. Finishing her washing, she again dumped several buckets of water over her body, and then made her way over to the towels, where she quickly dried herself. She had brought a fresh set of clothes with her into the bath, and she held up the shirt in front of herself. It was a light blue sweater, made on Earth, with several designs on the front of it. It had a hood attached to the back and a couple strings from it hung down the front.

"Weird clothing, these earthlings have," she said to herself, setting it down and picking up the undershirt. Quickly putting it on along with her other undergarments, she slid the sweater over her head, carefully pulling her hair out of the back of it, and tested the fit. Surprisingly, the material was soft and warm, and she found it to her liking. Holding up a pair of jeans, she frowned at the styling. Deciding to deal with it, she slid her legs into the pants and hitched them up, snapping the button around her waist, again, shifting it around to test the fit. The material was a little rougher than what she was used to, but she felt that she did look good in them. The blue sweater was a lighter shade than the jeans were, but they still went together quite well. One long pocket was around her waist, and she carefully put both her hands in on either side, and then admired herself in the mirror, noticing that she really did look good in Earth clothing. Hoping that it would catch Russ's attention, she took notice that the soft patter of water had ceased from the men's bath, and she figured that Russ had finished his morning shower. Hoping to catch him on his way out, she made her way over to the bathroom door.

"Tenchi? Are you awake?" Ryoko whispered over to her lover, who appeared to still be dozing quietly next to her. She had her body pressed closely to his, feeling his warmth, as the temperature in the room was below her liking. It was just too cold for her tastes. She always did say that she hated Earth because of the bad weather, but she also said that she'd endure Hell to be with Tenchi, and because Earth was his home, she made it her home. She figured that she could deal with a little bit of coldness if it meant spending the rest of her life with him. And besides, he was plenty warm enough for her.

"Good morning, Ryoko. Merry Christmas," Tenchi whispered back, looking into her golden, kittenish eyes. He bent and kissed her, then rolled onto his side to face her directly.

Ryoko smiled. "It isn't Christmas until tomorrow, silly," she giggled quietly, and then kissed him.

Tenchi returned the kiss and continued to smile. Six months ago, he wouldn't have been caught dead sleeping with any of the girls, but now, he couldn't believe what he had missed, and it still felt almost surreal that he was here with the most beautiful girl in existence. She had always been there for him, even after he had gotten mad at her and done stuff that had hurt her feelings in the past. He regretted doing those things now, especially after he learned how emotionally sensitive she was. Those awful things he said to her years ago must've really hurt her. On occasion, he felt that he didn't deserve her love, devotion, or passion. However, whenever he felt that way, Ryoko would do something to bring him out of his depression, almost as if she could sense that he was troubled. She was such a remarkable girl in so many ways that mere words couldn't describe it.

He didn't know it at the time, but his heart had a void, an emptiness, that was waiting to be filled with the love of another. That emptiness had existed since his mother had died, but his mind chose to ignore it, leaving his heart to ache. Never having a womanly figure as a part of his upbringing, he was bewildered when all the girls had entered his life, causing his normal routine to go up into a cloud of chaos and fun. That void had slowly begun to fill, but only part way. Being caught in between both girls tore him apart, but he never allowed either Aeka or Ryoko to know about it. Hiding his own feelings and burying them deep down, he did his best to be impartial to both girls, knowing that one day he would have to eventually choose. That day came swiftly, and he knew that the choice was made, shortly after he came back from the Haruna incident. Ryoko seemed to be more calm and collective, but seemed to stay close to him far more than Aeka did. That was further engraved into his mind when Ryoko would hang on him, but not have Aeka object anymore. Instead, she'd simply smile and continue with whatever she was doing, trying her best to hide her jealousy, sadness, and depression. The thing was, HE never chose. Both girls decided for him. However, it still hurt him and he knew it hurt Aeka, but that pain had become so miniscule now that he simply forgot that it was ever there.

If Russ hadn't arrived when he did, things might've been very different. As far as he knew, she was planning on returning to Jurai to assume her duties as the Royal Princess. She had asked him on one occasion that if she ever had to return to Jurai, if he'd allow Sasami to remain here, since she figured Sasami would've wanted that. Realizing that she was still extremely upset over the way the decision was made, he made certain that she knew that she could remain at his place for as long as she wanted. He figured that she was just about ready to leave when Russ arrived and began living with them.

Now Russ was a character. He had never, ever seen a man as well built as he was. A mountain of muscle was an understatement. Russ's arms were as thick as his head, and his legs were like tree trunks. He had known a few people similar in appearance to Russ, but all of them turned out to have a nasty, arrogant attitude that made his skin crawl. All they seemed to talk about were how many girls were attracted to them and how much they could bench press. But Russ was very different. He always did his best to be friendly to everybody, lend a helping hand, and all around try to be a nice guy. He was actually pretty smart too, unlike the other bodybuilders. In a way, Russ was similar to himself, but he was different as well. Instead of simply accepting Aeka like any of those other meatheads would have, he turned her down flat on the first day he met her, but not because of arrogance, but because he said that it was to protect her. He still wasn't sure why he said it that way, but it came as a surprise to him.

In the past six months, watching both Aeka and Russ get to know each other better, he noticed a change in both individuals. Aeka had become a little more aggressive in her quest to make him hers, and Russ didn't seem to run away from her as often as he used to. They spent a tremendous amount of time together, whether it be training, cooking, cleaning, shopping, eating, watching a movie, playing games, or any number of activities. They almost appeared as a couple, but Russ always made sure that she knew that they were just friends. He knew those words hurt Aeka again and again, and he had confronted Russ about it on several occasions, but he would always calmly explain why he did what he did. The strange thing was the reason was always different. One time it was to protect her. Another time it was because he wasn't interested. And yet another time it was because he wasn't ready yet. Every excuse beat around the same bush, and that was he simply didn't want a girlfriend. But being a man himself, he still couldn't figure out why a man wouldn't want to take a mate for himself. It almost felt like it was out of a fictional movie. If it had been Ryoko or Aeka by herself when either entered his life, he probably would've fallen in love with one of them a lot sooner, but being torn between the two most gorgeous females on this side of the galaxy kept him from choosing and falling in love.

"What are you thinking about, Tenchi?" Ryoko asked softly, gently running her fingers through Tenchi's hair. "You look lost in thought."

"I am a little. I was just thinking about the last six months. Thinking about us, and thinking about Russ and Aeka. Just remembering some stuff that happened during that time." Tenchi reached over and gently caressed her arm, feeling his way down the length of her warm, soft body.

"No need to worry about them, Tenchi. I think Russ will come around soon," Ryoko said, grasping Tenchi's hand in her own and giving it a tender squeeze. "He just needs a little more time or a swift kick in the rear to get him going."

"I'm not so sure about that, Ryoko. He seems pretty serious about not wanting Aeka."

Ryoko frowned, narrowing her eyes slightly. "I know. But she's been working at it and I think he's starting to loosen up a little. We'll have to wait and see."

Tenchi yawned, rolled onto his back, and then sat up. "I suppose. I just hope he doesn't wind up hurting Aeka's feelings."

"I think it's too late for that, Tenchi. He hurt her feelings the day he met her by telling her no."

Sighing quietly to himself, he looked over at Ryoko, who was still snuggled under the covers. "I already know that any amount of pressure won't bend him, but would probably make him angry. We should just leave it alone. He may yet come around. We'll have to wait and see, like you said."

"Yeah. I suppose you're right," she said, sitting up, feeling the cooler air rush onto her back, giving her goosebumps. Letting out an audible shiver, she latched onto Tenchi and smiled. "Brrrr! It's cold in here!"

"Hah. This is warm compared to Russ's room. I don't know how in the world he can sleep like that," Tenchi said, wrapping his arm around his girl, feeling the goosebumps that sprouted on her back.

"Me neither. Anyway, lets go downstairs and get something to eat, and then we can take a bath. Russ is probably still sleeping and Aeka is probably up destroying the kitchen," she giggled.

Tenchi looked fearfully into Ryoko's face, and then smiled. "It's not like you or I can cook either," he teased. "Sasami is the master chef around here, but Russ comes in a close second. The food he makes tastes great, but is really not all that healthy. At least, not according to Washu. It works for him because he burns all of that energy when he exercises."

"True. Anyway, let's go. I'm getting hungry. I'd even eat Aeka's cooking at this point," she said, letting her stomach croak loudly.

Tenchi chuckled quietly as he tossed back the covers, letting both of them out of the bed to dress and head downstairs.

Sasami was busy in the kitchen, as usual, preparing an extremely massive breakfast for everybody. Since Russ had come to live with them, she had begun making triple portions of everything, knowing full well that Russ was a garbage disposal; able to eat everything you threw at him. He used to tell her that he'd eat anything as long as it wasn't running too fast.

Speedily slicing up a cucumber, she tipped the cutting board into the frying pan, allowing the cucumber slices to slide off. One slice missed the pan and fell onto the counter, but Sasami quickly picked it up and ate it, licking the water off of her fingers.

"Hey, good morning, Sasami. What are you making today for breakfast?" Nobuyuki asked, peering into the kitchen from the doorway.

Sasami turned and smiled. "Just the usual. A little of this, a little of that," she giggled.

"Ahhh. Do you need any help in there?"

"Nope! I'm just about finished anyway. Thanks for the offer though!" she answered, smiling, and then turning toward the frying pan, stirring the vegetables with her cooking chopsticks.

Nobuyuki smiled, remaining in the doorway as he watched her dart around the kitchen, gathering ingredients and cooking them skillfully. She was so full of life and energy that it made him think back to the love of his life, Achika. She too was always happy, always outgoing, and could always bring a smile to his face no matter what mood he was in. Just the sight of her gorgeous figure, her wonderful brown eyes, her black hair in a pony tail, was enough to make him not have a care in the world.

He could see a lot of Achika in Sasami, as she hurried around the kitchen. She was usually happy, was always caring, and she was an incredibly hard worker. She never really took a day to herself, but if she did, the whole house would probably fall apart. It almost did when she got the flu about a month ago. She was out of it for a couple days, but fortunately, Russ was around to take over. He did everything she had done and more, saying that she needed her rest. Aeka did her best to help in the kitchen but she'd always botch whatever it was she was cooking. Raw sewage would've probably had a more appealing taste than some of the awful things that, quite literally, crawled out of her frying pan as if it were still alive. Most of them would disintegrate when someone touched it. Russ teased her on several occasions, saying that she was as bad of a cook as Akane from Ranma ½ and was just as ill tempered. Nobuyuki laughed quietly to himself as he remembered the chaos that ensued. For nearly five minutes, Aeka chased Russ around the kitchen with a meat cleaver, screaming that she was going to kill him, which made Russ only laugh that much harder.

"Do you need something?" Sasami asked, noticing that Nobuyuki hadn't moved from his spot in the doorway.

Suddenly realizing that he was caught daydreaming, he smiled and shook his head no. "Sorry. I'll let you get back to work." He turned and left the kitchen, leaving Sasami watching after him in concern.

"Good morning, Russ," Aeka greeted, opening the door after Russ had left the men's bath.

Russ turned around and smiled, and had a double take when he saw what Aeka was wearing. "G'morning. Nice sweater," he said. "I thought you didn't like Earth clothes." Russ was dressed in a sweater and jeans as well, except his sweater was red.

She grinned and made her way over to the saiyan. "Most of the time I don't, but I like these sweaters. Do… you think it looks good on me?"

Russ stopped in his tracks, a small amount of perspiration covering his head. His eyes wandered up and down her figure, and he suddenly felt a little flushed. She watched him curiously, raising her eyebrow, getting a little closer to him in an attempt to make him uncomfortable, and to allow him to look down her sweater, giving him a little view. Snickering quietly to himself, he decided to be a smartass this morning. "Does my opinion matter?" he questioned flatly.

Aeka took it right in stride. "No, not really."

Cocking his eyebrow curiously, he started chuckling. "Good answer. I'm glad you loosened up a little."

"I thought you'd like that," she said, pushing her way past him, letting her long ponytails hang out behind her. "I'm hungry."

"Me too."

"You're always hungry," Aeka retorted.

Russ stuck out his tongue and gave her a raspberry, making hand gestures to enhance the effect, and he continued to quietly make a ruckus behind her back as they made their way to the breakfast table. Aeka knew what he was doing, but decided to ignore it.

"Hello everyone," Russ said, noticing everybody seated at the table already. Kiyone, Mihoshi, Katsuhito, Nobuyuki, Sasami, Ryoko, and Tenchi were all there, in the process of putting food on their plates.

"Hi Aeka! It's been a while," Kiyone greeted. "Same goes for you, Russ. How have you two been?"

"Well, we…" they both said in unison. They looked at each other and Russ gestured for her to go ahead.

"We've been doing pretty good. It's been really cold outside, so I haven't done much, but Russ here still trains like there is no tomorrow," Aeka explained. "I don't know how he can stand such cold weather."

Kiyone laughed. "He's dedicated. That's all there is to it."

Russ grinned. "Thanks Kiyone. How have you and Mihoshi been doing? Are you looking forward to tomorrow?"

"Oh yes!" Mihoshi said, interrupting her partner. "We haven't had much free time to do anything since we're still working our butts off to pay for the rent…"

"Would you shut up about that Mihoshi?!" Kiyone yelled, clamping her hand over the blonde's mouth. "You do this every single time anybody asks that!"

Russ shook his head. "Sorry to hear about that. I know it's rough, but you two girls do a great job," he said, giving them both a big smile.

"Thanks. I needed to hear that," Kiyone said, sounding relieved.

Russ eyeballed all the food that was on the table, causing his stomach to roar in anticipation. "BREAKFAST TIME!" he said, zanzokening to his seat at the table and immediately stuffing food in his face. However, the family kept right on eating, as they had finally gotten used to the way he consumed his food.

Aeka shook her head and laughed, then took her seat next to him and began to delicately eat her meal.

It was already dark outside when Russ finished his training, even though it was only about seven in the evening. It was still cold, just a hairline above freezing, and an icy breeze was blowing from the west. The sky was overcast, indicating a weather system was moving into the area. After a couple minutes, a few flurries of snow began to fall, steadily increasing and gathering in intensity.

Russ stood outside next to the lake, watching the snowflakes drift onto the ground, listening to the silence of the surrounding area. He could barely make out the wind as it blew through the bare branches of the hibernating trees, but he could feel it through his coat and long underwear. The snow always gave him a sense of peace and solitude. It was very soothing to watch the snowflakes come down from the sky in irregular patterns, only to fall apart when they hit the ground or bumped into his coat.

It had been years since Russ had snow on Christmas day. Most of the time while he lived in Michigan of the United States, they wouldn't get a large quantity of snow until after the holidays. Michigan had some really screwy weather. It could be sixty degrees outside one day and literally have five inches of snow on the ground the next. At least the weather in Japan was a little more moderate.

He slowly walked off toward the shrine steps, his feet leaving tracks in the dusting of snow. Making his way up the long stairway, he kept himself very quiet, just admiring the fluffy white stuff that came down, covering the ground. A trail of footprints followed him up the stairway, as he made his way higher and higher toward the shrine. Finally reaching the top, he looked around the land, which was bare, dead, and lifeless, except for the glimmer of candlelight that danced in Katsuhito's window. Looking past the shrine, he saw another clearing, which seemed to be another bluff overlooking another valley. Carefully, quietly, making his way there, he stopped when he reached the edge and took in the surrounding area. It was absolutely huge and beautiful, but a little difficult to see through the millions of snowflakes that fell from the sky. Looking off to his right, he noticed a tree there and a gravestone.

"Hmmm…" he muttered to himself as he made his way over and knelt down in front of it. The stone read, "Achika. May her body and soul rest in peace."

"I had no idea that her grave was actually here at this shrine," Russ said to Katsuhito, who had come up behind him.

Katsuhito grinned. "There's no sneaking up on you, is there?"

Russ shook his head. "Nah. When I'm alone and there is not much life around, I can sense just about anything coming my way. Your life force is a dead giveaway, no matter how far you lower it. About the only person who probably could sneak up on me would be Zorpheus. We both learned the ability to cloak our energy so we could sneak up on others."

"I see. Anyway, what are you doing out here?" the wizened man asked, now standing next to Russ.

"Just enjoying the snow," he replied. "This is the first time I've seen Achika's grave over here. I guess I just never noticed it before," Russ said, looking down at the stone.

Katsuhito's expression was unreadable. "It was snowing almost like this, on the day that she died. I always come out here to pay my respects to my daughter on the first snowfall of the year," he explained.

Russ looked at him in mild surprise. "She was your daughter? I never knew. I'm sorry," Russ said, unable to express his feelings any better than that at the moment.

"It's okay. I miss her and so do Nobuyuki and Tenchi. If I know them, they'll be out here in a little while to pay their respects as well."

Turning back to the gravestone, Russ looked down on it once more. "Well, I guess I better head back to the house. There isn't much for me to do right now. I don't feel like playing the organ or doing much of anything. Not many people know this, but I always get depressed around the Christmas holiday. I don't know why, especially when everybody is usually so festive, bright, and cheery." He laughed to himself. "I sound silly, don't I?"

Katsuhito shook his head. "No. A lot of people seem to get depressed around Christmas. The stress of making others happy usually weighs heavily on them. If a person has no family, that makes them feel depressed because Christmas is so family oriented."

His eyes widening a little, Russ looked over at the Shinto priest. "I think that's it. That may be why I get so down during this season. I have no family left."

Both of their eyes met for a moment, until Russ hung his head. "My parents died some time ago. I have no brothers or sisters and I don't have very many close friends. Living with you guys has slightly lifted that burden, but it still isn't the same. At least, not yet."

"It takes time to overcome any kind of grief. Some people never get over it. Tenchi still greatly misses his mother, even though he barely knew her. She died when he was very young, but despite that, he still thinks of her constantly. There have been many occasions where he had asked me about Achika and what she was like. About the only memories we have left of her are a handful of photographs and an old eight millimeter film that Nobuyuki took of her when they began dating," Katsuhito explained, watching Russ's changing expressions. "Ever since Kain had re-appeared, he again started questioning why that monster had done what he had done and why he took his mother away from him."

Russ nodded his head. "I see. How come you didn't come to help us fight Kain when he appeared? I know you must've sensed him."

"There was nothing that I could do. Tenchi has far surpassed my own abilities when he learned to control the Lighthawk Wings. I did watch from the top of the hill that day and was amazed at my grandson's abilities. However, he is still sloppy with a sword."

Russ chuckled. "I know. I watch the way you pound him from time to time and he never seems to get the hang of it."

Grinning, Katsuhito turned toward the cliff and made his way to the edge, looking into the valley below. "I also saw you fight Kain down there. I've never seen anything like the things you had done in my entire life. The sheer amount of energy you were producing was nothing short of godlike. How did you become so powerful? Before we met you, the Jurians were the most powerful beings in existence."

Russ stepped up next to Katsuhito and looked out into the gray sky. "Saiyans were made to be a warrior race. The main goals of saiyans in the past were to become the most powerful race in the universe. Our bodies were designed to fight and nothing more. When we lose, we become stronger. The saiyan race developed many techniques and attacks to help us in our endeavors, but even so, there were a few people out there who were still far more powerful than us. The Frieza guy I told you about some time ago, used to use our race as slaves. He'd order us to take over planets for his ever-growing empire. One day, we rebelled, and lost. Frieza completely annihilated our planet and everybody on it. Hundreds of millions lost their lives that day except for Goku, Vegeta, Nappa, Raditz, and our little contingent of rejects that had settled on a distant planet on the other side of the galaxy. Frieza was afraid of us. Afraid that one of us would eventually become a super saiyan, like myself. That was a threat to his power, so he eliminated it, or at least, tried to," Russ described, calling on the memories of his upbringing and the stories his father had told him. "We gain strength at a rapid pace and we learn to fight almost before we can walk. That is why we're so strong. When you saw my hair and energy turn yellow and my eyes green, you saw my transformation into a super saiyan. And you want to know something that is even wilder than that? There are levels beyond what you saw. Three more levels, to be exact. What you saw was only a small amount of power that our bodies are capable of generating, but I haven't reached the next level yet. But I'm close. I can feel it."

"You saiyans are certainly the most powerful people I've ever seen. What are you going to do when Zorpheus arrives?" Katsuhito questioned. "I'd be worried about you two destroying the planet and everybody on it. What about us?"

"I've already given that a lot of consideration, and Washu has agreed to an idea that I had. She has already begun work on it," Russ said, looking into Katsuhito's violet eyes.

Katsuhito looked at him curiously. "Well?"

"Washu has made a separate dimension from this one for us to fight in. The universe is identical to this one, except, no intelligent life. Just plants. It's a perfectly replicated Earth and solar system. All that needs to happen when he arrives is to transport the two of us there and we can fight unobstructed. Whatever goes on in there should not affect this dimension. When we transport, everybody except us will seem to have disappeared, when in fact, it's us who will be moved. It's one thing that Washu was more than willing to help me out with."

Katsuhito nodded his head in approval. "I see. Excellent idea."

"You will be able to watch us as well, since Washu can use her technology to see into that other dimension. But what will go on in there is far beyond what you've seen already. Me blowing away Kain was child's play in comparison to the way Zorpheus and myself will be doing."

"I see. Well, we should be getting back inside. Sasami will probably want to go to bed early in hopes that Santa will bring some goodies for her," Katsuhito said, grinning.

Russ smiled. "I think Santa is going to be very kind to everybody this year. Ho ho ho," he chuckled.

Katsuhito raised an eyebrow and looked at Russ curiously. "I have a feeling you have a couple of surprises in store for us."

Grinning widely, Russ nodded his head. "You'll just have to wait and see for tomorrow. There will be a few things that are nothing short of a miracle."

"I look forward to it then."

"Okay. Good evening, Lord Katsuhito."

"See you in the morning, Russ."

"Come on you guys! The sooner we go to bed the sooner morning will come," Sasami begged, pulling on her sister's arm.

It was nine o'clock at night, and it was about an hour before everybody usually went to bed. Sasami was very anxious and jumpy, as most young children are when it comes to Christmas. She was convinced Santa was going to come, as she had learned of the Earth fable from Tenchi. Instead of telling her that he didn't exist, they decided to allow her to believe in him and she somehow managed to convince herself that he really did exist.

"Okay, okay. We're going," Aeka responded, annoyed, as her sister had been bugging everybody to go to bed for the past hour.

"Good. Now everybody, up to bed!" Sasami commanded, drawing a big grin from everybody, including Russ.

"Yes, your highness," Russ responded, marching himself up to his bedroom, followed by everybody else. Sliding open his door, a blast of cold air slammed into his skin, causing him to break out in goosebumps. Kiyone and Mihoshi were right behind him when he opened his door and they looked at him in shock.

"Why is it so cold in your room, Russ?" Kiyone asked as he stepped inside.

Russ turned around and grinned. "My window is wide open. This is how I sleep," he answered, then slid his door closed, leaving a flabbergasted pair of Galaxy Police officers in the hallway.

"Wow," Mihoshi said, blankly looking at his door.

"Come on. We better head off to bed too or Sasami will have our heads."

Mihoshi laughed. "And Santa comes tonight! Yay!"

Kiyone just hung her head in disgust and marched off to her room, tailed by her partner.

A short five minutes later, everybody was in his or her rooms and under their blankets, trying to fall asleep. Insomnia was present in nearly every instance, but they slowly managed to doze off, one at a time. The only person who did not fall asleep was Russ, as he was patiently waiting for everyone else to drift into unconsciousness. Nearly two hours after he went to bed, he got back up, quietly let himself out of his room, and being extra careful to not make any noise, he floated down the stairs and into the living room, where he fished his coat out of the closet. Speedily putting it on, he stepped outside, closed the door behind him, and lifted off into the night sky, heading off to Korin's tower.

As he got further away from the Masaki home, he began to pour his energy into flying, causing his aura to flare around him in a brilliant shade of green. A vapor trail marked his flight path as he moved faster and faster, and he made his way to the tower in very little time. Reaching the base of the tower, he flew straight up for a few moments until he reached Kame's lookout, where Dende and Mister Popo were waiting for him.

"Hi! How are you guys doing?" Russ greeted. He landed in front of them and nodded his head in respect.

"Hello, Russ. We're doing well. It's nice to see you again," Dende said, stepping over to the saiyan and extending his right hand and arm, which he grasped in a warm handshake.

Russ smiled widely. "I'm glad to hear it. Mister Popo, you look well."

"I am," he responded in his deep voice. "Thank you."

"You're welcome. Anyway, lets get straight to the point. Did you guys manage to collect the Dragonballs?"

Reaching behind his back to a sack he had, Dende handed it over to Russ. Carefully untying the string around it, an orange ball shone in the dim sunlight that the lookout still had. Four stars were in the middle of the ball, and under it, six more balls, each with a corresponding number of stars.

"Oh, this is too awesome. I really, really appreciate this you guys. But I do have a question. Can I make a wish that would modify the dragon slightly?"

"What did you have in mind, Russ?" Dende questioned.

Russ looked at the balls, and then at the namek. "I want to take away the dragon's ability to grant immortality to anyone who asks for it."

Looking dumbfounded for a moment, Dende scratched his head. "I don't know. You'd have to ask him."

"What is his name, anyway?"

"Shenron is the dragon's name," Popo said.

"Hmmm. Well, let's get this show on the road and see what I can do. Again, thanks a million for finding these things for me. I don't know what I can do to repay this favor," Russ said, looking at the smiling namek and at Popo.

"It's okay. You're so much like Goku in mind and spirit that it was a treat to be able to do this for you. No need to thank us."

Russ bowed deeply. "Thank you."

Stepping away from the temple and into the courtyard, Russ carefully arranged all seven balls in a circle, with the seven star ball in the middle. All the balls began to glow with energy when he set the last one in place, and he backed off a bit, startled that it began doing that.

"Heh. I guess I'm a little jumpy with anticipation," Russ called back to Dende. "Here we go!"

Stepping back several paces, he spread his arms wide and called forth the dragon. "Shenron! Eternal Dragon! Appear before me and grant my wishes!" he yelled.

The balls began to glow intensely, and the clouds over Kame's lookout grew dark and ominous, as thunderclaps roared in the distance. Yellow streaks of lightning began arcing through the clouds, and then, without warning, a massive bolt of golden lightning slammed into the balls, causing them to light up in a brilliant flash of yellow energy. Russ shielded his eyes in surprise and watched the spectacle in awe, as a huge, golden, snakelike thing formed in the clouds over his head. After a few more minutes, the golden energy faded away and a massive, long green dragon floated over his head.

"My god, LOOK at that thing," Russ whispered to himself, as this was the first time he had ever seen something as radical as this.

"You have summoned me. I will now grant you three wishes. Tell me your first wish," Shenron rumbled, shaking the ground he stood on with his powerful, booming voice.

"Eternal Dragon. Can I make a wish that will affect you?" Russ asked, finally overcoming his shock to seeing such a massive entity.

Looking at him with his intense, blood red eyes, the dragon rumbled to himself. "Make your wish," he responded.

"My first wish is for you to lose the ability to grant immortality to anyone or anything that asks for it," Russ shouted up to the beast, hoping against hope that he could grant such a request.

Shenron's eyes began to glow an intense red, as his body glowed an incredible shade of yellow. A few moments later, the glowing ceased.

"Your wish has been granted," he rumbled.

Russ breathed a sigh of relief and smiled. "Thank you, Eternal Dragon!"

"Tell me your second wish," he requested.

"Yes, of course. My second wish…" Russ said thoughtfully, and then remembered. "I know. My second wish is…"

Strong, radiant sunlight pierced through the darkness, sending it away for the dawn of a new day. It was super bright outdoors, especially with the way the sun reflected off of the ten inches of snow that had fallen the night before. It sparkled like a perfect diamond, completely undisturbed. It was so peaceful and serene outside that it could've melted even the most foul of moods.

Russ, ironically, was the first to awaken this morning of Christmas Day. Being extra quiet, he put on a new red sweater, which had 'Merry Christmas' etched in English across the front, the green lettering covered in white snow and icicles hanging off of some of the letters. Leaving his room very quietly, he crept downstairs into the living room where the light of dawn was able to illuminate the surrounding area, allowing him to see clearly. However, he closed the blinds that faced the lake, but there was still plenty of light remaining to be able to see clearly.

He sat down on the organ bench and patiently waited for everybody else to wake up. It wasn't five minutes before he heard Sasami's voice and the light thumping of footsteps as she ran down the hallway to the stairs.

"Good morning, Sasami! Merry Christmas!" Russ greeted her.

"Merry Christmas, Russ!" she said, throwing her arms around his neck in an affectionate hug. "Can we open presents now?"

Russ fell over and started laughing. "Hold your horses, Sasami. Wait for everybody else to come down here first, you know?"

Aeka was next down the stairs, and she looked a little sleepy, but happy.

"Merry Christmas, Aeka," Russ said with a big smile.

"Same to you," she responded, giving him a hug. Russ blushed.

"Why are these blinds closed?" Aeka asked while pointing to the ones that Russ had shut a few minutes ago.

Russ stood up and moved toward her. "Don't open those yet. I'll let you know when you can, okay? And no peeking behind them either, or you'll ruin the surprise."

"Is it for me?"

"Maybe," Russ answered, grinning. "Just don't peek behind them. The same goes for you, Sasami," he said, watching her move over to the window, but she stopped when Russ caught her.

"Rats," she muttered to herself, then went back to the couch where she plopped into the cushions, folding her arms over her chest.

A few minutes later, the entire family had come downstairs and made their way into the living room. The tree was lit and so were the other decorations, and it looked positively festive. Russ smiled widely, as the happy mood was contagious. Nobuyuki had already gotten his video camera and was busy taping the whole thing. Lord Katsuhito had shown up a few moments later and made himself right at home.

"Can we open presents NOW?" Sasami asked, looking like she was going to explode from the excitement.

Russ laughed, and then smiled. "Yeah, go for it. I'll pass out the presents, if that's okay."

"Hurry up then," the little princess ordered, fidgeting with her sweater in anticipation.

Shaking his head, the saiyan made his way over to the tree and sat down on the floor, reached over for the first package, and read the nametag. "This one is for Sasami, from Aeka," he announced, handing over the green package.

Eagerly shredding the wrapping paper, she withdrew a brand new china set from within the confines of the box. "Oh wow, these are absolutely beautiful. Thank you, Aeka!" she said, giving her sister a hug.

"You're welcome, Sasami."

"Okay, next up, we have Aeka, from Sasami!" Russ said, handing over another package.

Carefully opening it up, she opened the box to find a brand new green bathrobe. Aeka held it up and admired it, then hugged her sister in gratitude.

"Well, lets speed this up a bit," Russ said, grabbing several gifts from under the tree. "Kiyone, this is from Mihoshi. Washu, this is from Tenchi. Ryoko, this is from Katsuhito," he said, distributing the gifts. "Mihoshi, this is from Washu. Nobuyuki, this one is from me. Katsuhito, this one is from me," he said, handing it over with a slight grin. Katsuhito didn't notice.

"Okay, let's see here," Russ said, shifting positions to get within reach of some of the other gifts. "Aeka, this one is from Washu. Sasami, this one is from Nobuyuki," he said, handing the little princess another gift. It took her about two seconds to completely destroy all the wrapping paper around it to uncover a new set of kitchen knives.

"I've been wanting a new set of these! Thank you, father!" she said, giving Nobuyuki a big hug. He smiled and blushed.

"Anything for you, Sasami! You deserve it."

Russ continued to distribute the gifts to everybody, keeping the ones that had his name on it nearby. After nearly twenty minutes of ripping, tearing, and opening, all the gifts had been given. Russ got a variety of new clothes, including that same full-length leather coat that he saw in the mall about six months ago, complete with sunglasses. That came from Aeka, which he thanked her with a big hug. She seemed satisfied. He also got a bunch of new exercise suits, a variety of summer clothing including a new swimsuit, shorts, and t-shirts. Unfortunately, he didn't get anything in terms of new technology, and he was slightly hoping for something along those lines. But he didn't let it bother him.

"Well, is everybody satisfied with your gifts?" Russ asked, still sitting on the floor.

"Yes!" came the unanimous answer.

"Hold everything!" Tenchi announced, standing up from his seat on the couch.

Everybody stopped and looked at him, curious as to what he wanted.

"I have one more gift to give."

Watching him curiously, Tenchi walked over to where Ryoko was sitting and offered his hand, which she accepted graciously. Gently pulling her up, he stepped back a few paces and faced her, his face slightly blue and pale as his hands trembled.

"Tenchi?" she said, looking at the tenseness in his face.

He took in a deep breath and let it out slowly, trying to make himself relax. Dropping down to one knee, he reached behind him, pulled out a gift that he had stashed in his clothes behind his back, and clapped his hands together in front of him, revealing a very small velvet box. Looking at her in an intenseness that she had only seen a couple of times before, she waited for what he had to say or what he was going to do.

"Ryoko, I know you've been waiting for this for a long time, and I'm finally ready for it," he said, opening up the small box, revealing a gorgeous, diamond engagement ring. "Will you marry me?"

Jaws began dropping everywhere in the room, including Russ's. They all stood in stunned silence, completely in shock that Tenchi had just proposed to Ryoko.

Ryoko herself stood quietly for a moment, until the tears welled up in her eyes and started falling down her cheeks. Nodding her head, she gave him his answer. "Yes. Yes, I will marry you."

Standing up from his position on the floor, Tenchi removed the ring from the box and carefully placed it on her finger, and then kissed her passionately.

Nobuyuki had videotaped the whole thing, and he too started crying, so very proud that his son had asked the girl he was in love with to marry him.

A pair of hands started clapping, and everybody else joined in a moment later, giving Ryoko and Tenchi their very best. Everybody approved, even Aeka, who had a smile on her face as she clapped her hands together again and again.

"Congratulations, you two," Russ said. "This is the first proposal I've ever seen in real life. May you two have a happy and fulfilled life together!"

Tenchi and Ryoko smiled, kissed each other again, and then hugged each other, accepting everybody's approval with grace.

"Thank you, everyone. I really appreciate it," Tenchi said, gently drying Ryoko's eyes with the sleeve of his shirt.

Russ smiled. "Well, now it's MY turn to give you the REAL gifts that I picked out. I really went out on a limb this year, so I hope you guys appreciate these things."

Everybody looked at him strangely, and waited for him to show them what he was talking about. Standing up and walking over to Nobuyuki, he stopped in front of him. "May I borrow your camera for this one?"

"Certainly!" he said, carefully handing Russ his camcorder. "You push this button to record, this one to zoom in and out, and this one to manually focus, but you shouldn't need to mess with that."

"Good. Okay," he said, making his way over to the blinds. "Aeka? Stand up and move to the front here, but stand in the middle of the room."

Everybody turned to look at the Royal Princess, as she did as she was told. "What's this about, Russ?" she asked.

Grinning and almost shaking with his own anticipation, he took in a deep breath. "Your gift was too big to fit in the house. But anyway, close your eyes. Everybody, try to keep your reactions quiet, as I don't want to ruin the surprise."

Looking at each individual person, they nodded their heads as Aeka closed her eyes and waited. Turning around, Russ opened the blinds that faced the lake. Glancing back at Aeka and reading the completely baffled looks on everybody else's faces, he turned the camera onto Aeka.

"Yu can open your eyes now, Aeka."

When she did, her face couldn't have been more awestruck than having someone ask her to marry her too. Her hand went to her mouth and tears instantly welled up in her eyes as she looked out toward the lake.

"Oh my god… Ryu-Oh… How… I don't… My god…" she stammered. Ryu-oh, her spaceship tree, was gone. But in its place, completely rebuilt as if it were never touched, her spaceship sat silently in the lake, awaiting Aeka's return. The tears were now completely free flowing out of the corners of her eyes, and Russ had a smile on his face that a crowbar couldn't remove. He kept the camera rolling on her face as she slowly approached the window and continued to admire her six hundred meter long spaceship. It looked as good as the day it was crafted.

Russ watched her for a few more moments, and then handed the camera back to Nobuyuki, who continued to videotape the Jurian Princess. Russ approached her from the side and laid his hand on her shoulder, giving it a tender squeeze. "Merry Christmas, Aeka. Ho, ho, ho," he chuckled.

She turned toward him and started crying. Grabbing him viciously in a hug, she buried her face in Russ's chest and continued to weep with joy. Wrapping his powerful arms around her, he held her close, waiting for her to stop crying, which only took a few moments.

"How did you do it?" she finally asked.

"Just call me Santa," Russ responded, smiling. "I hope this is to your liking. You mentioned that you would've liked to have your ship way back when we first met. I remembered that and tried to find a way to make it happen, and I did. Nevertheless, what you see out there was nothing short of a miracle.

Washu, Nobuyuki, Katsuhito, and everybody else continued to stare at the ship in awe and wonder, completely unable to figure out how he made it happen. Not even Washu could find a logical conclusion.

"Okay, One down, several to go! Washu?" Russ asked, grabbing the scientist's attention.

"What is it, Russ?"

"You can do a compatibility test between two people right now, can't you?"

She looked at him strangely. "Yes I can, but why?"

Russ grinned. "Scan both Tenchi and Ryoko. You should find something quite incredible and unexpected this time."

Tenchi, Ryoko, and Washu all looked at Russ like he was talking nonsense. However, Tenchi turned toward Ryoko in a little bit of confusion.

"What does he mean, Ryoko?" he asked.

Ryoko hung her head, deciding to just come right out and say it. "We're incompatible, Tenchi. We're not capable of having children."

Tenchi looked at her in complete surprise. "But I thought you were taking contraceptives or something to keep from becoming pregnant. You mean we can't have children at all?"

Shaking her head, she sat in silence.

Tenchi gently curled his arm around her. "It doesn't matter Ryoko. It doesn't matter to me one little bit," he said, pulling her a little closer.

"That's my son!" Nobuyuki said, patting Tenchi on the shoulder. "I'm proud of you, Tenchi!"

"Dad, cut that out. It's embarrassing."

Washu was busy scanning them during their little conversation, but when she finished, her eyebrow went up in skepticism. "That can't be right… hold still, you two. I'm going to scan you again," she said, trashing her current findings and resetting the scanner, making some minor adjustments.

A few moments later she finished, and this time, she scratched her head, trashed her findings and reset her computer once again. After the third scan, she looked at the both of them in surprise. "I don't understand why, but I have a new compatibility rating. My computer is showing ninety nine point four percent. I can't figure out why. It doesn't make any sense."

Coming up from behind her, Russ laid his hand on her shoulder. "Your computer is correct," he said quietly. "Merry Christmas, Ryoko and Tenchi. You two are fully capable of having a healthy, happy, beautiful baby boy or girl. Congratulations."

All three of them stared at him in much the same way they had when he opened the blinds to the lake and when Tenchi proposed.

"What did you do to them?" Washu exclaimed, banishing her computer back to subspace.

"Like I told Aeka, call me Santa," he said, grinning. "I performed another miracle last night. I hope this is what you two would've wanted," he said, looking at the young couple on the couch. Everybody else in the room sat in dead silence, completely transfixed on the saiyan. Almost the entire group had the same awestruck expression, and Russ could sense it. He blushed slightly and smiled.

Ryoko got up from the couch, walked over to Russ, and threw her arms around him in a hug. "I don't know what you did, but thank you. You have no idea what this means to me."

"I have a pretty good idea, but you're welcome," Russ responded, returning her hug.

Tenchi got up from the couch as well, made his way over to Russ, and extended his hand. Releasing Ryoko, Russ grasped Tenchi's arm, pulled him over, and gave him a manly bear hug.

"Merry Christmas, Tenchi," Russ said.

"Thank you, Russ."

Releasing each other a few moments later, Russ returned to the center of the room. "Okay, next up, Kiyone and Mihoshi. If I'm not mistaken, you should have something waiting for you in your spaceship. If not, I have some bones to break," he chuckled.

"What is it, Russ?" Kiyone asked, curious as to what he could've gotten the two of them.

"Well, I contacted the Galaxy Police headquarters and had a long discussion with your commander. After a little debating, he agreed to do a favor for the two of you, since I described some… problems that you've had. Your financial troubles are over. From this day forward, the Galaxy Police will be providing you with funding so you can remain at your apartment and not have to work any odd jobs around the place. They'll pay for your rent, food, clothing, and whatever other necessity you need."

Kiyone's jaw dropped and Mihoshi's smile was as bright as the sun. "How did you convince him of that?"

"If I told you that, it would ruin the thrill of the surprise now, wouldn't it?" Russ asked. "You're welcome, you two. I hope this is satisfactory. I'm sorry it isn't as huge as Aeka's spaceship or Ryoko and Tenchi's compatibility, but it is the best I could come up with."

Kiyone shook her head. "It's perfect. Thank you, Russ. We don't deserve it, but thank you."

Russ smiled and waved his hand. "Forget about it. I do nice things for my friends. Relax on your days off and don't worry about money anymore. You have no idea how much it drove me nuts yesterday to not spoil the surprise when Mihoshi started talking about your money problems again."

Kiyone glared at her partner, but then smiled and nodded her head.

"Okay, next up, Washu!" he said, turning toward the scientist, who was now wearing her binary watch. "Are you ready for this?"

"Nothing surprises me anymore, Russ. What did you do?"

Russ scowled for a moment, then smiled again. "I think this will be a very pleasant surprise. If you go into your lab, you'll see what I mean. There is someone waiting to see you in there."

Cocking her eyebrow curiously, she turned and made her way back to her lab with Russ smiling after her. She disappeared behind the door a few moments later.

"What did you do for her?" Aeka asked, curious.

Turning toward her, Russ grinned. "She'd have my head if she knew what I did to get the information I needed to make this happen. We'll probably see her… and her son… later on today."

"WHAT?!" Aeka yelled, in much the same way that everybody else had expressed their disbelief. "What did you do?"

"As everybody knows, I'm partially telepathic. I can read minds if I touch a person or focus on one from a short distance away. It's really difficult to do it without being noticed, but I managed to do it with her. I learned her son's name from several memories that she had of him. You have no idea how hard it was to track down that guy," he said, scratching his head.

"Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable," Aeka said, sinking into the lazy boy reclining chair that was nearby.

"I'm sure you guys were wondering where I was when I disappeared for days on end. But I'm not done yet," Russ said, looking at the little blue haired princess. "Your turn. You and I are going on a little trip to visit someone. Get your coat. We'll leave in a few minutes."

Sasami looked a little nervous, but she stood up. "Where are we going?"

"You'll see when we get there. I just hope the person I'm looking for is still there as well," Russ said. "Everybody, we'll be back in a couple hours. It'll take us about a half hour to get there, and I decided on letting her stay there for an hour or two. When I come back, I'll reveal the final gift I have planned. This one is for everybody, and I'm sure it'll be nothing short of incredible."

"Sounds good, Russ. With some of the stuff you've already done, I'm greatly looking forward to what you have up your sleeve," Nobuyuki said, standing up. "Have a safe trip and we'll be here when you get back."

"Good. Lord Katsuhito? I expect you to be here, as this pertains to you as well," Russ said, looking dead serious at the priest.

"I will be here when you return."

Russ smiled, fished out a remote control, and pushed the button. A black hole opened up near the lake, and his Tie Defender was ejected from subspace. It landed gently on the snow, creating three depressions from the landing gear.

"Come on, Sasami. Let's go," he said, making his way to the door, followed by the little princess. Ryo-Ohki bounded along with Sasami and leapt onto her shoulder, wanting to go too.

She was wearing the new coat and mittens that Russ had gotten for her, and she looked adorable in it. They quickly made their way across the snow to the fighter, and Russ opened the hatch. Giving Sasami a boost, he put her in the back seat and Russ climbed into the front one. Punching several buttons, the hatched closed and sealed, and the ion engines came to life, creating their familiar roar. The fighter lifted off of the ground as Russ waved to everybody who had gathered at the window. Hitting the throttle, he began to move the fighter toward space, keeping it steady as it rocketed through the atmosphere. The lightness of the blue atmosphere quickly faded to the black of space as the Tie Defender left Earth's gravity.

"Okay, entering hyperspace in five… four… three… two… one…" Russ said, pushing the hyperspace lever completely forward. The stars that were visible in the cockpit suddenly became very long starlines as the space around the fighter became a mass of color, swirling around the outside.

Sasami watched the transition from normal space to hyperspace in wonder. "It's so beautiful," she said, watching Russ hit a few more keys on the console. A counter came up on his screen that read twenty-five minutes, and slowly began counting backwards.

"Well, we've got twenty five minutes to burn," Russ said, sitting back in his leather seat, listening to the low rumble of the hyperdrive. "Would you like to listen to some music or something else?"

Sasami looked down at Russ and smiled. "Music will be fine."

"Okay. I had loaded my entire music collection into the database here on the fighter. Fortunately, it has an enormous amount of space, so I've got room for whatever else needs to go in here. But why would you care about that," Russ teased. Punching a few keys, he called up a play list of anime songs that he enjoyed, starting with Tokimeki no Doukasen from Fushigi Yugi. Hitting the play button, it began, and Russ cranked up the volume so he could feel it in his seat. Sasami smiled and relaxed, patiently waiting for the flight to be over with.

"Hello?" Washu said, looking around her lab for the mystery visitor that Russ said she was supposed to have. "Anybody here?"

Nobody answered her, but she did hear a very faint clicking of keys on a computer keyboard. Wondering where it was coming from, she stealthily made her way around her massive computers, test tubes, and other sensitive electronic equipment until she found the source of the typing noise.

A young man, appearing to only be in his mid twenties, was seated at her phantom laptop, playing on her computer system. Nearly freaking out, Washu stopped herself from shouting at the guy for messing with her equipment. But there was something strangely odd about him too. He had blonde hair, but it was fairly dark in color, and his skin tone was tanned as well. Glasses were positioned on his nose, and they reflected the computer screen in the lenses. Still, even though she had never seen this man before, a peculiar feeling kept nagging her at the back of her mind.

Finally gathering up the nerve to approach the boy, Washu stepped out from behind some of her computers and slowly walked over to him, allowing her feet to make just enough noise to be noticeable. Seconds later, the typing ceased and the man swiveled around in his chair, a look of happiness on his face.

Washu raised her eyebrow in suspicion, and then looked into his green eyes. "Who are you, and what are you doing on my computer?"

The young man just smiled, then gestured with his index finger for Washu to come over. Slowly making her way over to him, she stopped when she stood next to him, turning her attention to the computer screen, which had a very, very old photograph on it. It was of a beautiful baby boy, only about six months old, with blonde hair, green eyes, and dressed in a white, one-piece baby suit with a pink undershirt. The baby was smiling, almost looking like it was giggling in happiness. The baby had one tooth in his bottom jaw, and it looked absolutely adorable.

Washu stared at the photograph and then turned toward the young man with a vengeance. "What the hell are you doing here!? Why are you going through my personal files?" Washu snapped, clenching her fists at her sides. "This stuff is none of your business! Get away from my computer, now!"

Slowly backing away from the laptop, he continued to give a soft, warm smile, but he did as he was told, putting up his hands submissively.

"I ought to turn you into the police for trespassing. I don't know who you are or what you're doing here, but you better leave," she demanded, banishing her computer back into subspace, where it belonged.

Sighing to himself, the young man grinned. "It has only been a couple of days since you last looked at that file," he finally said, his voice light, warm, and happy.

Washu glared at him. "And what business of that is yours? How dare you go through my personal stuff, pulling up things that you have absolutely no right to see! Get out of my lab, now!"

"Short tempered as always," he chuckled. "Father always told me about how my mother would fly off the handle at the strangest times."

Narrowing her eyes at the strange man, she took a step closer to him. "I told you to leave. If you do not leave, I'll force you out in the most painful way possible. Now get out of here," she threatened, staring him directly into his eyes.

"Attack first, ask questions later. That was another thing my dad used to tell me about my mom, even though she usually told him to do just the opposite," he chuckled. "Don't you want to know who I am first?"

"Frankly, I don't care who you say you are. I come down here to meet someone, and that someone I'm supposed to meet was going through my personal files! Do you have any idea how violating that feels?!" she shouted.

Becoming thoughtful for a moment, he shook his head. "I'm sorry I offended you, but I wanted to see that picture again for myself. It's been so long."

Stopping dead in her tracks, her face froze into a strange, but blank expression. "What do you mean, again? That is the only picture that exists of him."

The young man shook his head as he reached behind him, felt under his robes, pulled out a small wallet, and opened it to a spot where he kept his photographs. Thumbing through five different ones, he stopped at the identical picture that was on Washu's screen a moment ago. Looking back at Washu, he smiled.

"This is me, about twenty thousand years ago. Look familiar, Professor Washu?"

For the second time, she became stunned, not knowing what to say or do. Searching for the right words to say, she remained silent, not finding anything that would overcome the shock she was feeling. However, a moment later, her skepticism returned.

"You could've printed that photo and stuffed it in your pocket. That means nothing," Washu growled. "I still don't know who you are or why you're here. I'm sorry, but I'm going to ask you to leave again."

Now it was the young man who had a look of stunned hurt on his face. He hung his head, trying to find something that would change the little scientists mind. "And you still don't want to know who I am? Most people would've."

"It doesn't matter. The only thing I want to know is why you were going through my files?" Washu said, folding her arms over her chest, staring directly into his eyes.

Looking toward where the computer used to be, he again sighed. "I wanted to see if my picture was still in your database. That's all. I wanted to see if you still thought about me, or had a picture of me still, even after all of this time."

"That isn't you!" Washu shouted. "My son has been missing for a damned twenty thousand years! He's gone and I'll never see him again! I searched for thousands of years, going to the galaxy police, going to data archives all over the universe, trying to find any damn reference to my son and I've always, always come up blank! How dare you say that is you!" she screamed, now approaching the breaking point. "Those bastards took him away from me! My son is gone! That was from a life long past, and I've gotten over it!"

Quietly listening to her outburst, he sat back slightly in the chair. "Liar."

Washu's eyes bulged slightly, but she became deathly quiet.

"If it didn't matter, why have you accessed that photograph so frequently? You still miss him and still want to see your son again, no matter what. A mother NEVER, EVER forgets her family, or a child. Ever. Saying that she did is nothing but an untruthful, selfish, lie. You're lying to not only me, but to yourself as well, and you know it," he said, not raising his voice, but giving her a poker face.

Narrowing her eyes to catlike slits, she opened her right hand and let it go straight across his face, her hand leaving a perfect, red imprint of itself on his cheek. "Get out," she whispered.

"Are you running away from your problem again?" he asked, not budging a millimeter.

Tears squeezed themselves out from under Washu's eyelids. "I SAID, GET OUT!" she screamed, balling up her fist and driving it straight at his face.

Bringing his hand up, he caught her fist in his palm and held it there. Standing up out of his chair, and then kneeling down to Washu's height, he looked directly into her face. "You know, when this guy named Russ approached me, I didn't know what to think either. My mother had been gone for over twenty thousand years, and I was always told that I was taken away from her, because our family was so rich and prestigious, and because our mother wasn't, we were taken away from her. I only had one photo of my mom and all the stories that my father had told me about her. He always said that she was the most brilliant mind in the galaxy and that she had no equal in the universe. If she didn't have a correct answer for something, there was no answer, or she'd invent a correct one. She was a little cocky and a bit arrogant, but father always found those to be charming qualities about her. He loved her like no other and he missed her greatly when we left. My father always told me that he wanted to go back to her, but he wasn't allowed to. If he did, my mom, him, and me would've been killed, or so the men said. We were forbidden to see her ever again. All the records of our existence were erased and we were given new identities. We started our lives over on a new planet, with a new identity, and a new home. Provided for and always cared for, it was easy for me to forget about my mother, since I was so young when I was taken away. My father, on the other hand, grew gravely ill from lovesickness. He missed her so much that his heart shattered into a million pieces, and couldn't be put back together again. He did have a new wife, but she wasn't able to fulfill the void that was in his heart, even though she genuinely tried. She loved him and me like we were her own, but it wasn't enough. About a thousand years after we left, my father died. My step mom was very heartbroken, but she continued to live her life to take care of me. God bless her heart," he said, still holding onto Washu's hand, looking straight into her eyes. "A few months ago, this super huge guy named Russ came to see me in my office one day. I've never seen him before then, but he was very nice, kind, and considerate. He asked me if he could ask me some personal questions about my past, which I agreed to, as long as they weren't offensive. The first question out of his mouth was, 'Who was your mother?' Now I asked myself, 'What kind of question is that?' but I answered him anyway. I said it was Nikki, who was my stepmother. He then asked if she was my stepmother, to which I said yes. After that, he asked me who my biological mother was, but that I didn't really have an answer for. He then questioned me if I had ever heard of a scientific genius named Washu Hakubi. Now that question stunned me, because I remember hearing the last name of Hakubi many times from my father, and even from my stepmother. The name Washu had come up a couple of times between my step mom and my father, but my mom always said to forget about her. I had no idea what she was talking about and I never had an opportunity to really ask her," he explained. Looking into Washu's eyes more gently, he continued. "I don't know how Russ found me, but there was something… honest about him that made me trust him and what he was saying. He said he spent about a month searching for me, and he was ecstatic that he had finally found me. I couldn't figure out why, because like I said before, I never met the guy. I was at work at the time, doing secretary work on a planet about halfway between here and Jurai, but he said he wasn't looking to meet me personally, but he was looking for me for someone else. That someone else was named Washu."

Washu started trembling, but she didn't stop the young man. He noticed it and felt that she was trembling, so he let her sit down on her chair. She remained silent, the tears still lightly flowing out of the corners of her eyes and letting them dribble down to her chin. Sniffling, she wiped her eyes off with the sleeve of her uniform and took in a deep breath, trying to calm down.

"Needless to say," he continued. "It was quite a surprise when Russ explained everything to me. But even he wasn't a hundred percent sure, so he asked me if he could read my mind and search for a particular memory that I might have. He said that it was harmless, and at the time, I thought he was bluffing or just trying to pull my leg. But it wouldn't have mattered anyway, since I really have nothing to hide. I allowed him to search my mind, which did have a very strange sensation to it. I could feel him going deeper and deeper into my memories of my very young childhood, until he found a particular image that he pulled up, allowing both of us to see the memory. It was that same picture I had on the screen here a moment ago, on your computer. Russ pulled away from me in utter surprise and looked at me with the biggest smile I had ever seen. 'Bingo,' he said. 'After interviewing over a dozen people, I finally found what I was looking for. Do you know who that red haired girl is?' he asked me, pulling up a different memory. I had said no, since the memory was so old and I had never learned the name to that person. He then told me, 'That is a person named Washu, a once-professor or student over at the science academy.' Now that I found interesting, because my father said he met my mother there. But I never knew if it was my stepmother or my real mother. I never bothered to ask. I still had the photo of that girl in my wallet, and had no idea why I kept it there, especially when I really didn't know her, but I felt compelled to keep it there. She was familiar, somehow. Anyway, he then asked me what my name was, which I responded with the name I was given and was called, ever since I can remember. My given name is Akaki Yubiki, and that is what I've gone by for the past twenty thousand years. But somehow, the name Hakubi was familiar still. I couldn't place it, but Russ helped me out with it. He continued to probe my memory, refreshing events that even I thought I had forgotten. Finally, after nearly an hour of that mind-meld or whatever it was he was doing, he found another memory where the name, Washu Hakubi, was actually said. I was held in my mother's arms, which happened to be the red-haired girl, and my father was standing next to her, both of them looking incredibly happy and contented. That was when I knew that Russ was not bluffing."

Looking up at him in silence, and then raising a quivering hand, she carefully touched the side of his face that still had the hand mark on it, caressing it gently. She sniffled again, and gestured for him to continue.

"He then dropped a bombshell on me. 'I know who your mother is, and I know where she is staying,' he said. 'I would like to take you there, soon, to see her again. Would you go if I took you there?' Of course, I was skeptical about it all. Here was a man who had just shown up out of the blue and claimed to have found my mother. But I just couldn't shake that feeling that kept nagging me at the back of my mind, which was of him being completely honest. I took him up on that offer, and he told me that he would be back in a couple months to pick me up. He said that I was going to be a 'Christmas Present' for Washu, my mother. I had no idea what he meant by a Christmas present, but I went along with it anyway. I guess I'm just a little too trusting, but it has never really backfired on me in all my years of being this way. He came and got me about two hours ago, and I've been waiting here for you since then. He looked like a zombie and said he was going to go back to bed once he delivered me to your lab. Anyway, I really wasn't sure how I'd be able to introduce myself to you, but I thought that picture on your computer would be perfect. The only two people in this universe that could've known about it should've been you and I. I don't know how Russ figured it out, but I was completely stunned when I found it in your database. I was just about to close down your computer when you came up behind me."

Still sitting in silence, she pondered over his entire story, almost unable to think because of her heightened stress. Finally looking up into his eyes, a little doubt still remaining, she swiveled over to where her phantom computer had re-appeared and called up the picture once again. Staring at it through her tear filled eyes, she looked back at Akaki, and then at the picture, still trying to decide what to do. She could see her face reflected in the computer screen and also in Akaki's glasses, and she had a gut feeling that he was telling the truth. But she had to be absolutely certain.

"May I take a physical examination of you?" she asked weakly, finally finding her voice.

Akaki smiled and nodded his head. "Yes, if it'll make you feel better."

Keying a few commands onto her computer, the scanning globe appeared behind Akaki, took off most of his clothes and hoisted him into the air, restraining his movements, causing him to have a look of shock and bewilderment on his face.

"What the heck is this thing?" he yelped, as the scanning headband set down on his head.

"Do not worry. This is just my scanning device. I use it on all my test subjects," she said, again wiping the drying tears from her face. "It will only take a few minutes."

"Uhhh, okay. But what about those needles that are hovering around my arms?" he asked, a large sweatdrop forming on the side of his head.

Washu tried to smile. "They don't poke you. Just relax. I'll be done in a minute," she said, typing various commands on her console, indicating the scans she wanted to perform and which ones she wanted to bypass. She took his bodily dimensions down to the angstrom, noting that he had a build similar to Tenchi's, but slightly less muscular. Also taking a DNA scan, a retina scan, and various other scans that would confirm an identity even if it were altered, she patiently waited for the computer to finish. A few moments later, it did, and she released Akaki from his restraints, dumping him unceremoniously onto the cold floor.

"Oww," he mumbled, picking himself up and putting on his clothes that were sitting on a nearby cushion. Washu cackled to herself, as she had intentionally programmed the globe to do that on release.

The results had finally come up on her computer, and still maintaining a shred of skepticism, it all vanished when she looked at it. Her happy mood seemed to melt away, replaced by the same sadness that she felt when he was taken away so many years ago, or at least, that's the way it looked to Akaki.

Putting his hand on her shoulder, he peered at the scan results. "Are you okay?"

She slowly turned to look at him, her eyes filled with tears once again, as she slowly reached up with her hands, carefully feeling his face. She gently removed his glasses, setting them on a nearby table, allowing her hands to feel every curve of his visage. The slight roughness of his cheeks told her that he hadn't shaved for a day or two, but it didn't matter. Pulling him down to her height, she held his face directly in front of hers, and she looked directly into his eyes, making all of her doubts go up in oblivion, never to be seen again.

Washu started to breathe heavily, and then started audibly crying. Akaki gently reached up to her hands, removing them from his face and placing them in her lap, he smiled. "I'm home, mother."

In a flash, she threw her arms around him, crying heavily into his shoulder, holding him tightly. Akaki carefully wrapped his arms around his mother, whom he hadn't held in over twenty thousand years, allowing his own tears to squeeze out of his eyes. It didn't matter to him, as the happiness he felt couldn't have been taken away even if the universe around him crumbled.

"My son…" Washu cried, her body shaking with sobs as she clenched onto him even tighter. "My son has returned to me!"

A quiet buzzer went off inside the fighter's cockpit, indicating that it was approaching their destination. Russ pulled the hyperdrive lever back, and the colors of hyperspace quickly faded back into stars as they approached an asteroid field.

"Where are we?" Sasami asked, looking around.

"This place is called Sargasso. Believe it or not, you've been here before. Does the name sound familiar?"

Sasami looked around and thought for a few moments. "No. What is Sargasso?"

Russ chuckled. "Like I said, you've been here before. You'll see," he said, flying into the field of rocks at a slow speed. Keeping an eye on his scanners, he picked up several derelict vessels that had no engine power or any kind of output. "If I remember correctly, Kiyone called this the spaceship graveyard."

Looking worried, the little princess continued to look around, wondering where they were and why they were here. "That sounds scary."

Chuckling quietly, Russ continued to fly at a slow pace, avoiding the moving boulders with skill. The fighter's shields were up, but there would be no way it could survive a direct run-in with one of the massive meteors.

Russ's face became a look of concern after a few minutes of flying around. "Hello out there," he said to himself, drawing a giggle from Sasami.

"What are you looking for?" she asked, leaning forward in the seat.

"A ship that I saw in your mind," Russ responded. He then blushed. "I looked into your memory to find something that could be an awesome Christmas gift to give you. The best way I figured to find that out would be to look into your memories. I chose this, figuring it would've been the best choice."

"Okay, when did you do it," she asked, annoyed. "You should know better than to invade a persons mind without their permission."

Russ turned a few shades redder. "I'm sorry, but I couldn't think of anything that would've been a better Christmas gift than this. It made it so much easier to figure out after looking into your memories. Don't worry, I was very specific in what I was looking for and didn't see anything that you'd be embarrassed about."

Continuing to look at him, she folded her arms over her chest. "I don't believe you."

"Ugh!" Russ exclaimed, hanging his head. "I'm sorry, Sasami. I won't do it again, okay?"

"Okay. As long as you promise."

"I do. Okay?"

Smiling once more, she nodded her head. "Okay. Now why are we here?"

Continuing to scan his sensors within a one hundred kilometer radius, he still couldn't find what he was looking for. "I don't get it. Well, let's check out a few of these abandoned vessels and see if any of them match what I'm looking for."

Picking up the throttle a little, he sped up and flew over to the first vessel, which was not much larger than an assault transport from Tom's star destroyer. Another vessel was near that, looking like a cross of Jurian technology with something from the galaxy police.

"I guess this ship must've been an experiment that failed," Russ said, pointing to it.

"It looks weird," Sasami said. "Hey, what's that over there?" she asked, pointing to another dead ship off to their right.

Turning the fighter to get a better view, it was a large carrier vessel, colored steel gray. It looked like one of the shuttles that the United States used back in the nineteen nineties, but much larger. "Looks like an Earth shuttle," Russ said, flying near it slowly, getting a good look at it. "Well, lets see what else is out here. There's a huge, abandoned vessel over here," Russ said, flying toward a massive asteroid. Upon reaching it, he pitched his fighter upward, flying over it skillfully. On the other side, an absolutely colossal, fifteen hundred meter long civilian cruiser ship became visible. Looking almost like a boat or ship that the Earthlings use to sail the open seas, it was still a sight to behold. Colored white with red and blue trim on the bridge and engines, it was the ship Russ was looking for.

"Found it!" he said excitedly, carefully flying his Tie Defender over to the ship.

Sasami gasped in surprise. "I recognize that ship!" she said, leaning as far forward as the seat restraints would allow her to. "Mirei was on that thing!"

"You got it," Russ said, smiling. "I hope she's still there."

"This was the present you were giving me?" Sasami asked, looking down on the saiyan who was busy trying to find a dock to land his fighter in.

"Yes. Merry Christmas, Sasami. I hope this is a nice surprise for you," Russ said, turning around and winking his eye at her.

"It's perfect!" she said, clasping her hands together and smiling widely.

Finding a suitable hanger, Russ slowly guided his fighter into the waiting bay, landed, and shut down the engines, but left the power supply and life support systems engaged. Scanning the outside of his fighter, it indicated that there was an atmosphere.

"That's really strange. For some reason, there is air outside. But there is no power onboard this ship, no life support, no shields. Nothing, but there is air. It's a perfectly breathable atmosphere. I don't get it."

"Well, let's go out and see if we…" she began to say, but stopped in mid-sentence.

Russ was also looking in the same direction she was, his eyes almost bulging out of his eye sockets. A young girl, Sasami's age, stood not ten feet away from his current position. She was semi-transparent, like before, and she had on a very pretty pink dress. But her face, hair, and hands, looked like something out of an aged photograph. She was tinted a sequoia brown color, and she didn't seem to have any other color about her besides her dress.

"Do you see what I see?" Russ asked, looking directly at Mirei. Strangely enough, he didn't see her as the white ghost that the others had seen when they had caught sight of her, but instead, he saw what Sasami did.

Ryo-Ohki, who was asleep on Sasami's lap, woke up and stretched, looked at both Sasami and Russ's expressions, and then she too, looked directly at the spirit. She meowed a few times, leapt off of Sasami's lap, phased through the outer hull of the fighter and bounded up to Mirei, who smiled in response. She casually waved her arm through the air, illuminating the docking bay, causing all of the junk and debris to disappear.

"Uh… I've never seen a ghost on this plane of existence before," Russ whispered to the princess. "I'll admit, this is a first for me."

"Well, come on! Let's go out there and see her!" Sasami urged, undoing the restraints.

"Okay," he said, not sounding convinced at all, hitting the hatch release.

Air hissed out of the cockpit as the pressure on the inside and outside equalized, and the door swung open. Reaching back to Sasami, he helped her out of her seat and gently set her down on the steel floor of the hanger bay. Russ followed her out a moment later and sealed the hatch, then moved next to Sasami.

Mirei smiled and made her way over to them. "Hi, Sasami. I was wondering if I'd ever see you again," she said, in a very kind, sweet voice. She stepped over to Sasami and hugged her.

"Mirei! I missed you so much since I last saw you. I always wondered if I could ever come back out here to see you again. I'm so happy that you're still here!" she exclaimed.

Russ stood by quietly, watching the two girls converse with each other.

Taking notice of the saiyan, Mirei smiled at him. "Who are you?" she asked.

Grinning and then kneeling down to her level, he introduced himself. "My name is Russ. I'm a friend of Sasami here," he said, extending his hand. "I'm pleased to meet you."

Carefully reaching out to him, Mirei took his hand in hers and gently shook it. Surprisingly, Russ could feel the warmth emanating from her, and she felt almost alive. However, he couldn't sense any energy from her at all. No ki and no life. It was almost like he was looking at a hologram.

"So you're Mirei," Russ said, releasing her hand. "I learned about you from Sasami. It's nice to meet you."

Bowing politely, she nodded her head. "It's nice to meet you too, Russ. How did you know where to find us?"

"I only knew of this location, but finding your ship was a little more tricky. I'm glad it is so big, since that made it easier to find."

"Yeah, and Russ looked into my memory to learn about you too," Sasami said, giving an evil glare at Russ, who looked away and twiddled his thumbs. "Yeah, you!" she said, emphasizing her disapproval.

"I said I was sorry. Sheesh. Would you have preferred that I didn't learn about Mirei?" Russ returned, folding his arms over his chest and looking down on her.

Sighing quietly to herself, she smiled and shook her head. "It's okay. I'm just teasing."

"You guys must be hungry," Mirei said, looking at the two of them. "I can hear Russ's stomach growling away."

"OH NO!" Sasami said, smacking her forehead with her hand. "I completely forgot about making breakfast for everybody! What am I going to do?" she said, looking over at Russ.

Russ smiled. "Don't worry about them. Nobuyuki can cook and Katsuhito can as well. No need for worries," he chuckled. "Just enjoy yourself here."

Looking back at Mirei with her face slightly red, she looked down at the floor shyly. "Yeah, we're pretty hungry. Starving, really. I never really noticed how hungry I am until you brought it up," she giggled.

"Well, come on. We'll go to my room and I'll serve us up a big feast," she said, turning toward the hanger door, which was open about two feet. Mirei and Sasami fit through just fine, but Russ had to squeeze through. He didn't want to disturb anything.

In the hallway it was dark, but again, Mirei waved her hand and like magic, the hallway illuminated in brilliant, warm light. Russ still couldn't sense any power or any kind of forces acting around him, and it made him uneasy. He had never encountered an ethereal life form before. Maybe she wasn't really dead and was instead a different kind of life altogether.

"Is something bothering you, Russ?" Mirei asked, looking at him with concern.

"Well, I was thinking about you, actually," he said, smiling and scratching the back of his head.

Looking down at the floor slightly, she put her hand out in front of her. "It's this, isn't it?"

"No. Your appearance doesn't bother me at all. I can do some really strange things too," he said, continuing to walk behind her and Sasami.

"Is it the fact that I'm a ghost?"

"A little. I can't sense any energy at all coming from you, yet, you're right here in front of me. Don't let it bother you at all. It's just my urge to try to explain everything. In a way, I'm similar to Washu when it comes to things like this," he responded. "But I am curious. Why are you remaining on this ship? That's my main concern."

Stopping in her tracks, she turned completely around to face Russ, her face downcast. "I don't know. I've always been here, alone. The first time I had a friend is when Sasami came along about two years ago. And I've been here ever since."

"Oh Mirei," Sasami began. "I'm sorry. It must be very lonely here."

Mirei turned back to the princess. "I try to not let it bother me, as I find things to do from time to time. But yes, it is lonely here." She slowly began walking down the hallway to her room.

"Maybe I can find a way to help you," Russ said, placing his hand on her shoulder. "But let's not worry about that for now. We came to visit you, and we're here. I decided to let Sasami and you play for the next couple hours, so please make the most of it. I still have one gigantic Christmas gift to give back home, and I think they're going to flip over it. You too, Sasami," Russ said with a wink.

"Another Christmas surprise? You're just full of them this year, aren't you?" Sasami asked, grinning.

Nodding enthusiastically, he grinned widely. "Like I said, I really outdid myself. I was saving the biggest surprise for last."

"I can't wait," Sasami said, smiling.

Her happy mood was contagious, and Mirei smiled too. "We're here," she said, pushing open her doors to a very large room. A fireplace was set against the wall to the right, complete with a fire burning in it. The flames jumped and danced on the wood, creating a nice, cozy feeling about the room. A large cabinet was set against the same wall, but closer to the door, made of a beautiful, brown wood. In front of the fireplace, a table and two chairs sat with a set of candles in the middle. A loveseat was situated on the carpet in the middle of the room. As Russ walked through the door, a large mirror was on the wall to his left, and an end table with a lamp was a little more to the left. Up on the mantle, several photographs were on display, and there were a couple of pictures on the walls themselves. The room was very bright, colorful, and cheery.

Mirei walked over to the table and waved her arm, magically causing a feast fit for a king to appear.

"Oh wow, that's handy," Russ chuckled, smiling at Mirei.

"Help yourselves," she invited, moving over to the couch and sitting down.

"Would you like me to move the couch closer to the table? It feels weird not having you here with us," Russ said, standing back up from the table.

"It's okay," she said, waving her arm once again, causing a third chair to appear.

"Excellent," Russ said, pulling back the chair. "Please be seated, madam."

Sasami started laughing at Russ, poking fun at his French accent. Mirei accepted his offer graciously, sitting down as Russ slid the chair under her, and then took his own seat. He immediately started shoveling the food into his mouth, hardly taking any time to chew it.

"This stuff is really good," he said, picking up a chicken thigh and eating all the meat on it in less than a second.

Mirei watched him eat in stunned silence, her jaw hanging slightly open. Sasami ate at her own pace, seemingly ignoring what Russ was doing. Carefully spooning her fruit salad into her bowl, she ate each piece delicately, just like a princess should behave.

"Sasami? Why are you eating so slowly? You don't have to be so proper in front of me," Russ said, continuing to eat like a barbarian.

Looking at Russ, and then at Mirei, she started shoving food into her mouth a little faster, being a little more careless as she ate.

"That's better," Russ teased, snickering. "Why don't you eat something, Mirei?"

She looked at the table and smiled. "I don't eat. I don't have a need to eat and I never feel hungry. That's all."

"Well, okay. Suit yourself, but this stuff is really good," Russ said, eyeing her as he continued to shovel more and more food into his gut. "Better get some while you can!"

Giggling, and then laughing, she picked up a bowl and filled it with fruit salad, then began eating it casually.

"That's the ticket!" Russ encouraged.

"Yeah!" Sasami giggled. "Anyway, how long have you been on this ship, Mirei?"

"I don't know. I think for quite a long time. I don't remember why I'm here, but I am," she replied, taking a cherry and eating it.

"Maybe you could come back with us?" Sasami said, putting down her chopsticks and looking seriously at Mirei.

Both her and Russ looked at Sasami in mild concern. It was Russ who answered her.

"I don't think she can. From what I understand, ghosts cannot leave the place from where they passed away. However, I would like to know what happened on this ship. Maybe I can find something in the data logs."

Mirei looked at him with a glimmer of hope. "Can you do that?"

"If I can get power to the computer system, I can," he said, smiling at her. "My fighter has some power packs in it that I could probably use if I can't get the ship's power system going."

"You know how to do that?" Sasami asked, looking at him with surprise.

Russ smiled. "I like to think of myself as an engineer, or a person who figures out how to make things work. I'm pretty good at fixing stuff, so we'll see what I can do. I may not be able to do it, but I'll give it a try," he said, finishing off his food. "I'll tell you what. You two girls and Ryo-Ohki can play, and I'll see about making the ship work again. How's that?"

Looking at him in hope, Mirei smiled at him. "Thank you, Russ. I'd love to know more about this ship and the people who used to be onboard."

"Again, it may not be possible. I'm not guaranteeing anything. From what I can tell, this ship is very, very old. The computer may not even work anymore. But I won't know that until I try to fix it."

"Just give it your best shot, Russ. If you need us, just call us. I can hear you anywhere in the ship," Mirei offered.

"Great. Well, you two have fun. I have me a database to crack," he chuckled, standing up and walking toward the door. "I'll let you know if I make it work or not."

"Okay!" both Sasami and Mirei said in unison. They looked at each other, and then laughed.

Russ chuckled as he walked out of the room and closed the door behind him. Slowly making his way down the hallway, he began to wonder more and more about the little ghost girl whom he just shared a meal with.

"If I can solve this mystery, she may be able to pass over to the other side, and then she can rest in peace," he said to himself. "Since it is Christmas, I'll do my best to make it happen and give her a Merry Christmas as well."

Picking up the pace, he quickly made his way to the bridge and forced open the door, which was jammed shut. After a loud crash and a few heavy bangs, the door slid open, revealing a large mess on the floor. Computer consoles lined the entire outer wall of the bridge, some of them broken. A large bulkhead had fallen on one of the consoles, completely shattering it. The captain's chair was pretty much unscathed, save for a few small stains.

Russ walked over to a command console, hoping it was the control helm. Taking a deep breath, he blew off all the dust and debris that was scattered on the computer, and sat down in the nearby chair, pulling the console toward him.

"Now, let's see," he said to himself, as he hit a few keys in sequence. But as he figured, nothing happened. "Dead. Let's try this," he said aloud, pressing each key in sequence, hoping something would happen. However, even after he pushed the last key, the console and entire ship remained adrift and lifeless. Standing up, he moved to the next console, blew all the junk off of it, and proceeded to hit each key, again, trying to find a console that would maybe still work.

After trying that with half the consoles on the bridge, Russ began to get irritated. "Splitform!" he yelled, as a double of him appeared. "Go screw with those consoles over there, and I'll do these," the original ordered. Both Russ's proceeded to press every single key on every console, hoping that they could get some indication that the ship still had a power source that could be enabled. But as they finished with each console, their hopes went with it. Finally getting to the last one, and after pressing every key on it, the two Russ's merged back into one.

"Dammit," he growled. "Figures. I wonder where the computer core is," he muttered, looking around the bridge. "I wonder what happened here. There is enough debris around here to look like the ship came under attack, but there is really no exterior damage. It doesn't make sense. Plus this ship doesn't seem to have any weapons."

Walking over to the captain's chair, he noticed a small keypad that was attached to the armrest. Sitting down and studying the pad for a moment, he pushed several of the buttons in random sequence. However, once again, nothing happened.

"Dead. Okay, I guess I have to go find the computer core and hook it up to my fighter. I hope they're compatible," he mumbled, squeezing out of the doorway to the bridge, making his way down the corridor, looking for a room that would contain the system unit.

Stepping over to a lift, he forced the door open and peered down the shaft, which was pitch black. Holding his hand out in front of him, a small ball of energy formed, illuminating the area in a soft, white light. Taking a step forward, he floated down the tube in hope of finding the engineering section. Several long bulkheads were lodged in the wall, as they had fallen down there when the ship encountered whatever it was that damaged it. Carefully avoiding them, he descended further, hearing many creaks, bangs, and squeals that erupted seemingly out of nowhere.

"At least it is warm in here," he muttered, finally able to see the bottom. Floating over to the shaft doors, he carefully forced them open and stepped out into another corridor, which was again, dark as the blackest pitch. Intensifying the energy in his hand, he lit up the surrounding area, making visibility much better. Walking down the hallway, he found a large set of double doors. Jamming his free hand in between the doors, he forced one of them open and peered inside, using his energy to illuminate the area. Dirt, grime, and dust were everywhere on the floor, the consoles, and everything else that was in the room, but it didn't have anything that resembled an engine or a computer core. Withdrawing his hand and allowing the door to close itself again, he continued down the hall, checking each room for the core.

"Isn't this unreal, Azaka?" Aeka asked, slowly walking through her ship, feeling a sense of nostalgia. "I never thought I'd see this ever again."

"Yes, your highness. Since the tree was rooted to the wreck of the old ship, it wasn't supposed to ever function as an independent unit," the log responded.

"I wonder if the ship still has its memory," Kamidake chimed in.

Slowly walking through the fields to her bedroom, admiring the long blades of green grasses that carpeted the ground she walked on, she made her way to her room, crossing over the bridge that had the water of Jurai flowing under it. Walking up the steps to the inside, she gasped, as her room was identical as it was the day she left it. Everything was perfect, as she normally kept her room. The bed was made, her makeup desk was set up for her daily routine, and even her hairbrush was sitting on the small bench next to her mirror, where she had left it the very last time. Her photo of Yosho as a young, Jurian prince even remained, in mint condition, completely unscathed.

"It feels so weird to be here again," the princess said, quietly. "Everything is just as I left it."

"Indeed," Kamidake said, gliding up next to his master.

Azaka slid up to her on her other side, conducting some minor scans. "Yes, your highness. Everything is in its proper place."

Making her way over to her bed, she put her hand on the ultra soft, brown comforter, remembering its feel on her skin. Her pink pillow was nice and smooth, until Aeka placed her hand on it, ruffling it up slightly. She slowly made her way around her bedroom, taking extra time at the picture of Yosho to admire him once again, and then she placed it face down on her desk.

"Why did you do that, your highness?" Azaka inquired.

"That was of a time long past," she responded, taking a deep sigh. "I think I'll replace this picture with the one I've fallen in love with. I want him to be mine, and nothing is going to stop me. Nothing," said Aeka, turning toward her two guardians with the most determined look she could muster. "Nobody has ever given me a gift this perfect in my entire life. He remembered it for over six months, which I find incredible. I love him and I want him to love me. I will make that happen if it is the last thing I ever do!"

"But what are you going to do?" Kamidake said, sliding over to his original guard post. "He seems like he has his mind made up. How are you going to change it?"

Smiling, Aeka shook her head. "He's changed a bit. He's easier to talk to and he has become more open with everybody. I know he likes me because he smiles whenever I'm around him, unless I'm teasing him. When I work out in the garden, I can catch sight of him watching me. He has to be attracted to me. I mean, who wouldn't be?" she laughed, sounding like she did almost three years ago.

If either guardian could've smiled, they would have.

However, a few moments later, her happy mood seemed to melt away. "But every time I bring up the subject about us becoming a couple, he avoids it like a plague. He always runs away and then afterwards, doesn't speak to me for a while. Whenever he sees me coming, he'll vanish into thin air or take off at such a high rate of speed that I wouldn't have any hope of catching up to him, even though I've become stronger and faster during my training with him. He has no idea how much that hurts my feelings. I just can NOT figure out why he won't make something more than friendship with me or anyone else!"

"If you need help tying him down, we can assist you, Princess," Azaka volunteered.

"Yes. We should be able to restrain him long enough for you to talk to him," Kamidake agreed.

Aeka shook her head. "No. For one, he would definitely not like that, and two, he's so strong that he could easily break out of your forcefield without even trying. Even if I helped, we couldn't hold him captive. He's just far too strong and powerful for that."

Turning around, she walked to the stairway that left her room and began walking down it, with her new destination being the bridge.

"I'm sorry, Princess. If we knew what to do, we'd do it. Changing a person's mind is something that we cannot do, unfortunately. We only have limited advice to give. Perhaps you should talk to Empress Misaki and see what advice she has to lend," Kamidake suggested, floating in the air and slowly following Aeka.

The princess visibly shuddered. "No, that's quite alright. Knowing my mother, she'd probably come here and try to force it out of him, and that is something that I definitely don't need. Not only that, it's embarrassing to be around her at times. I could've died when she made me call her… mommy… while we were at the Startica Festival," she said, recalling the event in detail, turning red all over again.

"But a parent usually has the best advice to give, too. You don't have to have her come here. You can call her when we get to the bridge, if that is your intended destination," Azaka said, keeping pace.

"I suppose I could. It is Christmas Day. She always said that I don't keep in touch frequently enough," Aeka said, looking worried. "I just hope she doesn't take an initiative and come here."

Walking the rest of the way in silence, she finally reached the bridge of her ship. It too, looked completely untouched, like nobody had even set foot in it before. Upon her approach to the Royal Tree, many beams of colored light came from the leaves and surrounded her in color, recognizing the princess immediately.

"The ship maintains all of its memories too. Even the ones it obtained from sitting here in the lake after the crash. Incredible," Aeka said, looking around in wonder.

Azaka and Kamidake returned to their posts, connecting to the ship's computer in the process. Again, several beams of colored light danced around the area, then faded away.

"Computer core, intact. Memory core, intact," Azaka recited, scanning the ship systems.

"Drives, online. All other systems, functional," Kamidake finished.

Aeka stood in the center of the bridge area, looking around her in awe. Her spaceship tree was in full bloom and looked as healthy as ever. The water flowed through the channels that were grooved in the ship, giving life to the plethora of plants that littered the surrounding area, gurgling as it fell over the edge and dropped to another reservoir below.

Taking in a deep breath, she felt so at home onboard her ship. She had spent a great many months onboard, either in stasis or on short trips to local star systems. But it was her home away from home. She was given the ship at birth, and when she was old enough to learn and understand about her ship tree, she was allowed to name it. Ryu-Oh, a fictional name that she had made up a long time before she even knew about the tree, was the name she gave it. It gave it a sense of power and peace, and even her family found it suitable.

When she was last on Jurai during the Startica Festival, her father yelled at her about the destruction of her ship, reopening old wounds. She couldn't wait to rub it in his face that her ship was back again, and the barbarian that he couldn't stand did it. Smiling an evil, sadistic grin, she pictured the look on the King's face when she'd arrive at Jurai in her original spaceship, or even just calling him from it.

"Azaka? Open a communications channel to Jurai. I want to speak to my mother and father," Aeka ordered, standing tall. However, she realized a few moments too late that she wasn't wearing her robes or regal clothing.

"We're receiving a response, your highness. Putting it on main viewer," Kamidake relayed, initiating the main viewscreen.

"AEKA!" Misaki yelled, almost looking like she was going to fall through the viewscreen, overwhelmed with joy. "I'm so happy you called!"

"Hi mom. How are you doing?" Aeka responded, smiling at the screen.

"We're doing great!" she said, being really enthusiastic. However, she looked off to the side and became serious. "Actually, it's been boring as hell around here. There hasn't been much of anything going on that has required our attention," she said quietly, trying to be confidential. "But your call has changed all of that!" A moment later, she looked at Aeka and her surrounding area. "Aeka? Where are you?"

Aeka smiled warmly. "I'm on Ryu-Oh, mother," she responded casually, as if it were a silly question.

Watching her surprised reaction, Aeka became more pleased with herself. "But wasn't it destroyed? Your father was very upset over that."

She nodded her head. "Yes. It WAS destroyed."

"I don't understand. What happened?"

"Today is Christmas, here on Earth. A special someone performed what he calls, 'A miracle' and has somehow managed to restore my ship," she explained, gesturing to her surrounding area.

Misaki's eyes widened a little more. "You're serious? Are you really on Ryu-oh?"

Giggling to herself, she nodded her head. "Yes. My ship is back."

"But how? Who did it?" Misaki asked, looking a little confused. But a moment later, her eyes became a little wider as realization entered her mind. "You don't mean, Russ, do you?"

Again, Aeka nodded her head. "I don't know what he did, but he somehow managed to restore my ship to perfect condition. It's almost like it was built from scratch, as there are no defects at all in the workmanship. It's almost like it had just come out of the craft shop."

The Joker in Batman couldn't match Misaki's smile. "I see. That's quite a gift he gave you, in that case. How goes the dating game with him, anyway?"

Sighing quietly, Aeka's face became a little more downcast. "It never got off the ground. We're still at square one."

"You're kidding!" she said, becoming concerned. "Why?"

"He's still the same way as he was when you met him. He refuses to even consider a relationship with anybody. Every time I've brought it up, he avoids the subject. I don't know why."

Misaki became silent for a few moments and looked at Aeka with her own amethyst eyes. "Maybe you're going about this all wrong. From what I could tell, you were always pursuing him, always trying to get him, and all around, you were putting out all of the effort into getting him. Maybe that isn't the way to make it happen."

"What do you mean?"

"If I'm correct, he comes from a race of people who are not all that dissimilar from those on Earth. What I mean is, that it's the guy who is supposed to initiate a relationship, not the girl. It's the guy who is supposed to pursue the girl, and it's the guy who is supposed to ask the girl out on a date, not the other way around. It could be that you're being a little too aggressive with him and he doesn't like that, or feels threatened by it, which is why he avoids it."

Pondering over this for a few moments, she looked back at Misaki. "But, it worked with Tenchi and Ryoko. She was far more aggressive than I ever was, and she won out! How come I can't do the same thing and get the man I want?"

"Is he Tenchi?" she asked.

"Huh?"

"What I mean is, is he the same person?"

Looking at her mother in confusion, she continued to think quietly to herself. "I still don't understand what you're talking about, mom."

"Russ is an entirely different person than Tenchi is. What worked on Tenchi may not work on him. You said you've been trying the same things Ryoko did and that it isn't working. The thing is, he's getting ALL of your attention, rather than having it be divided between two girls, like the way it was between you and Ryoko. He definitely does not have the same outlook on women as Tenchi does."

"I see, but still. He knows I want him, he knows I care for him, and he probably knows that I love him, but even then, he still won't accept it. What can I do to make him change his mind?"

Misaki smiled. "Back off of him for a while. Play hard to get. That may make him chase you instead of the other way around. If it doesn't, it'll make him feel a little more comfortable and less threatened. Just stop pursuing him. The last six months obviously didn't work. It's time to try something else."

"I suppose you're right," Aeka said, considering the many encounters she had with Russ, remembering his gentle touch when she was feeling down, or how he'd talk with her when she was alone. The thing that stuck in her mind was how he'd always run away when she'd mention a date or going steady, but he'd always come around when she wasn't pursing him or trying to get him to do something that meant getting involved. Maybe it was time to try something fresh and new. "I think I can try that," she said, looking a little happier, her face filling with a new hope.

"Yes. If that doesn't work, I'll come over there and tie him to a chair and lecture him on what my daughter wants," she laughed, drawing a small giggle from the Princess.

"Thank you, mom. I feel better now," Aeka said, smiling.

"By the way, I love your clothes!" Misaki said, her face filling the viewscreen again. "What are they, anyway?"

Catching her off guard, Aeka started laughing. "It's just a sweater and a pair of jeans. They're plain old Earth clothes. How do you like them?"

"You look so adorable in them! Can you galaxy-express me a couple pairs for myself?" Misaki asked, clasping her hands together. "I know it'll make your father furious, but I like to have clothing from other cultures too!"

"I'll see what I can do," she said, folding her hands in front of her.

"So Aeka, I've got all day to do nothing. What's new with you?" Misaki asked, sitting back on her throne.

Aeka sat down on the floor of her ship, yoga style. "Where should I begin? OH! Guess what? I saw Russ as a super saiyan for the first time a couple months ago!"

"Really? What'd he look like?"

"Well, not all that different from the way he looked before, but his hair and eyebrows turned a golden yellow color, and his eyes became a beautiful sea-green. He grew a little taller and his hair stood on end, plus he became a heck of a lot more buff. It was crazy, but really neat to see."

Misaki closed her eyes, trying to imagine what he looked like. "Did you get a picture of him?"

"Washu might have one. I'll ask her about it later and send one along with the clothes," Aeka said, smiling.

"Great. I can't wait to see it," the empress said.

"Well, what's new with you, mom? I don't have anything to do for now. Russ took Sasami somewhere and he won't be back for another hour or two, so I've got the time to waste."

"Hmmm, let's see… I know," she began, and Aeka knew that when she started a conversation like that, that it was going to take quite a long time to finish it. She sat back on her arms and relaxed, listening to her mother's stories and telling some of her own.

"I still can't believe it's you," Washu kept saying, over and over, still completely blown away that her son, lost for over twenty thousand years, was standing next to her once again.

Akaki chuckled quietly to himself. "I know. It feels weird for me too. After that I learned that Nikki was not my biological mother, I did a lot of research and investigating to try to find out who was. I, like you, came up with nothing but dead ends and more questions. I don't know how Russ did it, but I owe him a debt of gratitude that I don't think I could ever repay."

"You and me both," Washu said, shaking her finger back and forth. "I never expected anything like this to come out of him," she said, sitting back in her chair. Akaki was sitting on a nearby cushion, and they had already been talking for nearly an hour, finding stories and drawing on experiences from both of their pasts, describing their lives in detail for each other. It was the best thing they could do to play catch-up. "Russ has been living with us for somewhere around six months. During that time, I really haven't seen a whole lot of him, but when I do, he usually makes my skin crawl. Thing is, he feels the same way about me too. He absolutely hates the way I treat others, but I don't see anything wrong with it. He always gets pissed at me whenever I tell someone that they owe me big time for doing them a huge favor. He believes that someone should not expect a form of payment for favors. However, he did tell me that if someone does do you a favor that they usually will return a favor when you're ready for one. He just doesn't like having me say that I expect it," Washu said, pulling herself up in her cushion a little more. "He had asked me for several large favors in the past, including the gravity machine he uses, the regeneration tank he wanted me to build, and lately, the entirely separate dimension that he wants to have his fight in. I had told him that he owes me big for all of that and he did get quite angry with me, but he said that he did have something planned that would make everything that I had done for him seem insignificant, but that I'd have to wait and see what it could be. I never, in a million years, would've guessed that he could've pulled this off. I'd love to know what he did that both you and I failed to do."

Akaki relaxed, folding his legs Indian style while maintaining balance on the floating pillow. "He did mention that he sensed an energy from me. He said that it wasn't all that dissimilar from the energy he sensed from you. He has more abilities than anybody I've ever seen. I've never seen someone who could be so powerful and maintain it with a high sense of ethics. Most people that I've seen usually turn out to be real jerks or wind up having an arrogant attitude that a sledgehammer couldn't pound back into proportion. But he's friendly, helpful, and a total contrast to what I've typically seen. Another strange thing about him is that he doesn't have a girlfriend," he said, scratching his head. "When he visited me the first time, we talked for a good two or three hours, and he described a bit about himself and why he was living here with you guys. I sincerely hope that he can do something about the disaster that is apparently heading this way."

"If anyone can do it, he can. You've seen how powerful the Jurians are, haven't you?" Washu asked, keying a few commands on her laptop, bringing up the battle footage from the Kain incident.

Akaki nodded his head, and then turned his attention to the computer. "Yeah. They're really powerful, fast, and strong. They're the most powerful race in existence. They have no equal in the universe."

Washu looked at him and shook her head. "Not anymore. Watch this battle footage I recorded," she said, playing back the video, starting when Tenchi released a huge, orange beam into Kain's face. "What you see here is Tenchi, who is of Jurai. As you can see, the computer calculated an energy level for that blast. I now use a new scale of measuring power, unlike the scouters you have probably seen. But anyway," she said, freezing the frame, "that blast came in at ten thousand. That is an extremely powerful blast, capable of destroying a small planet."

"Yeah! Look at the sheer power from that blast. I've never seen a Jurian exhibit that amount of energy before. That's really impressive," Akaki mentioned, sliding a little closer to his mother.

Washu shook her head, and fast-forwarded to when Russ walked out into the field to confront Kain. "Now watch what Russ does. You can see his current energy level, which is holding steady at only five hundred," she said, just as Russ clenched his fists, causing all kinds of strange phenomena to occur around him. The number on the computer screen immediately started going crazy, jumping to the hundred thousand spot and continued to rise at an insane rate.

"What the heck? A million? TEN million?" he exclaimed, staring at the computer screen in shock, but the numbers still continued to climb. A moment later, the numbers became scrambled as it reached its limit of only twenty million, and Russ's hair stood on end while lightning streaked through the sky. Kain and everybody else stared at him in horror as he went up in a brilliant gold flash of energy, causing Akaki to sit back in his chair from the surprise.

Washu allowed the replay to run a few more moments and then she paused it, getting a freeze frame of Russ as he stood, fully transformed into a super saiyan. "THAT is the most powerful race in existence," Washu declared, pointing at him.

Transfixed on the computer screen, Akaki adjusted his glasses, thinking he could be seeing things. "What happened to him? Why is his hair yellow?"

"That is his transformation into something called a super saiyan. It's a radical transformation that he can do that gives him an incredible boost to his speed, strength, and energy. He's hundreds of thousands of times more powerful than the strongest Jurian warriors."

"Amazing."

"But you see, he's not the only one who is that strong. That opponent that he told you he was going to face is just as powerful as he is, and just as experienced. Now you can see why I've done Russ as many favors as I have. For someone who fights as righteously as he does, who couldn't help but say yes?"

Allowing the footage to run to the end, Akaki watched Russ summon up such an astronomical amount of energy. As a result, the monitoring device started having trouble maintaining a steady picture. A second later, Russ brought his hands out in front of him and released the biggest ki blast that Akaki had ever seen. The entire screen went blank for several seconds, and then came back online, but the event was over. Russ turned around and faced the group, and he could finally see Russ's green eyes, causing his own to widen in surprise. Russ walked over to the group and smiled, then said, "I win."

"Well anyway," Washu said, letting her computer fade back into subspace and standing up. "Please, let me introduce you to the family. I'm sure they're all waiting to meet you."

"I'd like that. Russ told me about Tenchi, Ryoko, Kiyone, Mihoshi, Nobuyuki, Katsuhito, Aeka, Sasami, and even Ryo-Ohki. I was very surprised to learn that the two princesses of Jurai and the most notorious space pirate ever known were all living under the same roof on such a distant planet."

"Don't say anything like that to them when you meet them. They've all changed considerably."

"I won't. Don't worry, mom."

"And I expect you to be on your best behavior."

Akaki rolled his eyes and smiled, extending his arm, which Washu latched onto. Walking to her door, it appeared, and they both walked through it, entering the living room of the Masaki home, where Ryoko and Tenchi were both sitting together on the couch, talking quietly to each other. They both turned when they heard the door open behind them.

"Tenchi! Ryoko!" Washu said, approaching them with Akaki, who smiled down on both of them.

"Hi Washu," they answered in unison.

"Who is that?" Ryoko asked, looking at the young man suspiciously.

Washu smiled and cackled to herself. "I'd like you both to meet my son, Akaki," she said, using his given name rather than his birth name.

Both Ryoko and Tenchi fell off of the couch, completely stunned as to what she just said. "WHAT?!" they shouted together.

"Hello. I'm Akaki. It's nice to meet the two of you," he said, extending his hand to Tenchi, and then to Ryoko. Both of them shook his hand, staring at him the whole time.

"You're the long lost son of Washu? I'm very honored to meet you," Tenchi said, bowing humbly. "I had only heard little things about you, but I'm very, very glad to see you reunited with your mother. It makes me feel very good and I'm sure it does to Washu as well."

"You have no idea how much joy I'm feeling, Tenchi. Words cannot describe the feeling that I have in my heart," she said, clinging onto Akaki's arm a little tighter.

Ryoko mumbled something under her breath, staring at the little scientist.

'What is it, Ryoko?' Washu asked her telepathically.

'I don't trust the guy. Here he shows up out of the blue and claims to be your son who you haven't seen in twenty thousand years? How the hell do you know he's telling the truth?' she growled, casting a fake smile at Akaki.

'I can understand that, but I was very careful in my scans of him. If he were hiding something, I would've found it. I compared them to scans that I had archived of him since his birth and they're almost identical. The aging process made the only variations that were caused. Other than that, he's my son. I guarantee it,' she said, using her best vote of confidence. 'Please be nice to him. It means so much to me to have him standing next to me again. I don't ever want to let go and I don't want him feeling uncomfortable. If you do, I'll tie you up like I did that one time I had that tea party with Mihoshi after Doctor Clay's capture.'

Ryoko's forehead instantly became covered in little droplets of perspiration. "Akaki? My name is Ryoko. I'm happy to finally meet you."

Akaki smiled. "Very nice to meet you, Ryoko. You're more beautiful in person than you were on the wanted posters," he said.

Ryoko started laughing, taking it in good humor. "I'm not a wanted criminal anymore. I've settled down here on Earth with my love, Tenchi," she said, pulling him a little closer, rubbing her head affectionately on Tenchi's shoulder.

Rolling his eyes, Tenchi shook his head and laughed. "Please, sit down. I'd love to visit with you if you have time. We've got nothing better to do. We already ate, but we have some leftovers if you'd like them. It isn't Sasami's cooking, but my dad can do a pretty good job on his own. Both of our master chefs are still out of the house for now. They should be back soon."

"Thank you," Akaki said, moving over to the loveseat, plopping into the soft cushions. Washu took the seat next to him, still clinging to his arm. "Mom, you're going to make my arm fall asleep," he teased. Washu didn't even notice he said anything.

Tenchi chuckled. "Hey dad!" Tenchi called.

"What is it, son?" Nobuyuki called from the upstairs.

"Come down here and meet Washu's son!"

"What? You're kidding!" he responded, as two pairs of feet started thumping through the house. A moment later, Nobuyuki came down the stairs, followed by Katsuhito. They both stopped and looked at the blonde haired boy who sat on the loveseat with Washu. The duo looked on Katsuhito and Nobuyuki with the same shade of green eyes, and they both smiled.

Akaki stood up and extended his hand, as Nobuyuki came over to the couch. "Pleasure to meet you, sir," he said, shaking his hand heartily, and then taking Katsuhito's hand in his own, repeating the action.

"So, you're Washu's long-lost son? Amazing! How did you find her?" Nobuyuki asked, sitting down in the lazyboy chair.

"Actually, it was Russ who reunited us. We owe him many thanks."

"RUSS did it? Good grief, is there anything he can't do?" Nobuyuki exclaimed, sitting on the edge of the chair.

"Beats me, but he's full of surprises," Katsuhito said, sitting on the couch next to Ryoko. She eyed him suspiciously, waiting for him to do something perverted.

"I'll be right back," Nobuyuki said, standing up and hurrying off to the kitchen. He returned a few moments later with the teakettle and six cups. He filled each cup with the green tea, and handed each cup off to Tenchi, Ryoko, Katsuhito, Washu, Akaki, and finally one for himself. "So, tell us a bit about yourself. I'd love to know what the son of Washu has done with his life."

Akaki grinned, taking a deep breath. "Well, where should I begin? Well, I guess I could start at the beginning, eh? It should help pass some time away."

Everybody sat back and listened as Akaki gave a very abbreviated version of his life story.

Russ sneezed, a result of all the dust that he blew off of the computer core. After wrestling with the unit for nearly fifteen minutes, he had gotten himself completely covered in dirt, grime, and dust. He looked more like an auto mechanic or a grease monkey than a warrior. Carefully undoing the mounts that held the computer in place, he finally removed it.

In the engineering section, Russ had tried to find the power supply for the ship, but even after he found it, he couldn't make it work. There was just no juice left in the unit to make it function. It was tricky, but he managed to remove the computer core without breaking anything. On the way back to the hanger, he had stopped and gotten Mirei and Sasami, and all three of them went back to his fighter.

Spending another five minutes connecting it to his fighter, he finally got the unit to hum to life.

Russ smiled. "Now, let's see what we've got here," he said, typing several commands on a nearby keypad, pulling the most recent logs from the recorder. For the first few moments, nothing but static greeted his ears from the audio and video system, but eventually, an unstable picture and bad audio greeted his senses. Adjusting several algorithms, he got the fighter to recognize the data, and it played back in near perfect condition.

"Wow," Sasami said, looking at the viewscreen, which had an image of the bridge and the people operating the ship. "You made it work!"

Mirei looked at the image and smiled. "That's my ship," she said quietly, watching it in wonder. It was the first time she had seen the bridge with all the people onboard, hurrying about and operating the vessel skillfully.

"Shhh," Russ said, putting his finger up to his mouth, watching the bridge crew operate the ship.

"Captain! Picking up an unidentified ship on sensors," the helmsman said, turning around to face the cleanly dressed officer.

"Put it onscreen," he said, watching the image flash up on his monitor. A new vessel, unlike anything Russ had ever seen, was on an intercept course to the civilian cruiser. It was absolutely monstrous. Larger in diameter than Tom's Star Destroyer, it had about as much mass as about two of those ships. It continued to approach, filling the entire viewscreen as everybody watched in horror.

Sasami gasped in horror. "I KNOW that ship," she whispered, looking at it fearfully. "That's Kagato's ship! The one that imprisoned Ryoko and Washu!"

Russ turned to look at her in shock. "Oh my god, you've got to be kidding."

"No. I'd recognize that ship from anywhere," Sasami said, watching the viewscreen.

"Hail the vessel!" the captain barked, sitting down in his chair. "Raise shields!"

Before his orders could be carried out, the space pirate Ryoko materialized right on the bridge, her eyes glowing an evil shade of green. She was dressed in a black and red one-piece battle suit, and she didn't look like she had any emotion. She had her three gems, but they were glowing green instead of red. One was on each wrist, and one was on her neck.

Upon her appearance on the bridge, the people turned around in a panic, and some of them picked up the hand weapons that they kept onboard for emergencies. They took aim and fired, but each shot they made bounced harmlessly off of her forcefield. She turned, pointed her palm at several of the men, and let loose a large, orange blast, vaporizing the helpless crew. The resulting explosion knocked a bulkhead out of place, which crashed into a computer console, annihilating it. Red warning lights began to flash all over the ship, as they were under attack.

"What is the meaning of this?!" the captain shouted, standing up from his chair.

Ryoko turned toward him, letting her orange sword blaze into existence, and with a casual swing from her wrist, she cut the man down. He fell back into his chair, dead.

Sasami turned away from the screen, horrorstruck at what had transpired. Mirei and Russ both stared at the atrocity in horror, and Mirei had almost gone into shock over what she had just seen. The terror in those people's faces couldn't have been matched by anyone Russ had ever fought against. Once the bridge was cleared, Russ could still hear the screams of people as they were cut down and pillaged of their valuables.

A moment later on the bridge, Kagato, the Galaxy Police's most wanted, appeared, surveyed the damage, and walked away, like he didn't even care at the atrocities that he and Ryoko had just committed.

"I can't believe what I'm seeing," Russ whispered, unable to turn away. Sasami was crying, covering her ears so she didn't have to see or hear the awful noises that were being played back. Mirei was near her, gently talking to her. Russ continued to watch the video, but he turned the sound way down. After nearly fifteen minutes, the violence stopped. Ryoko and Kagato returned to the bridge with a little girl, as they both looked at her with cold, heartless eyes.

"We're leaving you here, alone," Kagato said. "Be grateful that you're still alive, but I doubt you'll stay that way for long," he said, blasting another control panel, causing the entire ship to shut down. "In several hours, it'll get so cold in here that you'll freeze to death instead," he laughed, as he vanished. Ryoko looked at the little girl, a tear falling out of the corner of her eye, as she too, vanished. The video stopped a few moments later, as the computer core lost power.

Russ clenched his fists and stared hard at the screen, restraining himself from smashing the computer core into a billion pieces. He knew about all the stories Ryoko and Washu told him about her past, but he didn't realize how severe it was. Now, he had seen it, and it made him absolutely furious. He knew Ryoko didn't have any control over what she was doing, but he still couldn't believe what she had done. He seethed with hatred at the old man, who had done what he did to the little girl. Russ looked over at Mirei, who looked at Russ with sad eyes. She hung her head, and then started crying.

Slowly moving over to her, Russ sat down on the floor with them, wrapped his arms around both of the crying children, bringing them closer and holding them tightly. He held them there for nearly five minutes, doing his best to keep from crying with them. He had never seen such a sick, twisted evil as that in his entire life. Not even Frieza could match his cruelty.

"Kagato. If he were still alive right now, he wouldn't be for much longer," Russ snarled, holding both girls close. "Acts like that are unforgivable. I can't believe anybody could do that to another person and be happy about it. It's sick," Russ said, squeezing the girls tightly, trying his best to comfort the both of them.

Sasami stopped crying, but remained close to Russ. "So that's what happened to Mirei?" she finally asked.

Russ looked at the little ghost and nodded his head. "Yes. An innocent victim who didn't deserve the fate she was given," he said. "I'm so sorry, Mirei. I wish I was around to stop him."

The young ghost looked up at him with serenity in her face. "At least now I know what happened to me," she said, relaxing her body. All three of them remained sitting on the floor, but remained fairly quiet.

"So you know, Kagato is dead. Tenchi had finished him off somewhere around two or three years ago. That bad man can cause no harm to anybody else, ever again. He has lost his control over Ryoko, and she has since then been reformed. Believe it or not, she is to become Tenchi's wife," he said, smiling, hoping to lighten the mood a little, then sighed. "I'm still very upset over what happened to you though, Mirei. If there was something I could do, I would do it."

"I know," she said, the tears still slowly falling down her cheeks. "How long have I been here?"

Russ thought a moment. "At least seven hundred years. Yosho imprisoned Ryoko about that long ago, but Tenchi only recently released her. Since she was with Kagato in the video, it had to have been longer than that."

Mirei looked up at him, and Russ's heart ached. "I've been here alone for seven hundred years? How much longer am I going to have to remain here?"

"Mirei?" Sasami began, looking at her. "Can you come home with us? You don't have to be here alone anymore. We will take you back to our place and you can live with us!"

Shaking his head, Russ put his hand gently on Sasami's shoulder. "Unfortunately, that cannot happen. However, I think since the mystery has been solved, that she is now free to pass over to the other side," he said, looking at Mirei.

She looked up at Russ with a glimmer of hope. "I can go?"

"Shhh, just wait a moment," Russ said. "I can feel something happening."

Mirei, Sasami, and Russ all sat quietly on the landing deck of the cruiser, listening, waiting. After a few minutes, a soft, warm glow illuminated the hanger, basking it in brilliant, white light. It lit every single nook and cranny throughout the entire bay, not even leaving a shadow in existence. The glow intensified in one spot, and after a moment, two people walked out of the light and into the bay.

Sasami gasped, looking at the adult couple in wonder, and Russ shared her same, surprised expression. Mirei looked at the two adults, her tears streaming anew.

"Mama!" she shouted, leaping up from her sitting position. "Papa!"

The two adults smiled and knelt down, welcoming their daughter into their arms. Mirei continued to cry, overjoyed to be reunited with her parents. She no longer had to be alone, ever again.

Russ and Sasami stood up from their positions on the floor, and Russ put his arm around the little princess's shoulder, holding her close. Sasami reached up and held onto Russ's hand, watching the joyous reunion take place, like an old, silent film.

"She's reunited with her parents now. Since the mystery has been resolved and the perpetrator who orchestrated the whole thing is now dead, she has no reason to remain on this ship anymore," Russ explained quietly. "I will take the data core over to Kiyone and Mihoshi, and they will be able to file a report with the Galaxy Police on the fate of the crew and passengers of this ship."

After a minute of watching the parents and daughter rejoice, Mirei turned around and looked at the two people who made it all possible. She turned and walked back over to Sasami, happiness all over her face.

"I can go home now, Sasami," she said, hugging her. "I won't be alone anymore."

"I'm very happy for you, Mirei," Sasami whispered, holding the little ghost closely. "All the memories that we shared will stay with me for a lifetime."

Mirei smiled. "I can help with that, a little," she said, running toward a wall, which she passed through.

Russ and Sasami turned to look at each other in curiosity, wondering what she meant. But they didn't have much time to ponder over it, as Mirei re-appeared a few seconds later, holding something.

"This is a picture of me that I had kept in my room," she said, giving it to Sasami. "I had added you in when you had left the last time you were here. I wanted to remember you, and I hope you'll remember me the same way. But I have something else I must add to it," she said, waving her hand. In between Sasami and Mirei in the photograph, Russ was added, smiling, with a hand on each girl, kneeling down to their height.

"Wow!" she exclaimed, clutching the picture close. "I'll treasure this forever, Mirei. Thank you!"

Russ knelt down and smiled. "Merry Christmas, Mirei," he said, as she threw her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. "Go now. Your mother and father are waiting for you," he said, watching the couple stand by each other, smiling, almost looking like a photograph themselves.

"I'll never forget you guys," Mirei called, running into the light, following her parents. "Good bye! I'll miss you!"

"Bye, Mirei!" both Russ and Sasami yelled, after she disappeared. The white glow slowly faded away, until it left the bay altogether.

Looking into the blackness, the soft glow that Mirei had given the hanger bay faded, revealing all the dirt, dust, and damage that had been there before she made her appearance. Russ, Sasami, and Ryo-Ohki all walked back to the Tie Defender in silence, climbed aboard, and sealed the hatch. Powering up the fighter, Russ carefully turned it around, and slowly flew out of the bay, putting some distance between him and the cruiser. He turned the fighter around one final time, took a good, long look at the ship, and then pointed his fighter toward home.

Russ could hear Sasami sniffle quietly to herself. "Are you okay back there?"

Again, she sniffled. "I don't know why, but I feel sad that I'll never see her again," she said, wiping the falling tears from her eyes.

Pushing the hyperdrive lever all the way forward, the stars became streaks as the fighter entered hyperspace, flying down the tunnel of color. "You should be happy, Sasami. She no longer has to be alone. She's with her parents now. It is true that you won't see her, but it isn't true that you won't see her ever again. You have a very long life ahead of you, Sasami. One day, you will see her again," he said, turning around to look the princess.

"Will I?" she asked, a glimmer of hope in her pink eyes.

Russ smiled, nodding his head yes. "One day, you will. But not for a long time."

Sasami looked out of the window at the colors of hyperspace, a small smile on her lips as the two of them hurtled through hyperspace, heading toward home.

Aeka, Nobuyuki, Katsuhito, Ryoko, Tenchi, Kiyone, Mihoshi, Washu, and Akaki all sat in the living room drinking tea, and sharing stories from each of their pasts, some of them completely ridiculous and some of them very serious. Aeka and Ryoko talked about their rivalry and how it had come to an end, and that they were almost the best of friends now. They had all lived under the same roof for the past three years, and they had enjoyed every minute of it.

"I wish Russ was here so you could meet Sasami," Aeka said, playing with one of the strings to the hood on her sweater. "He's been gone for almost three hours."

"Yeah," Ryoko interjected. "Where is that barbarian anyway?"

"He is NOT a barbarian!" Aeka shrilled, turning toward the space pirate angrily.

Ryoko laughed. "You're the one who gave him that nickname, not me, your highness," she retorted. "Besides, I think I can hear his fighter now."

Listening for several seconds, the noise of the Tie Defender's ion engines became more and more audible, as the fighter flew over the house and carefully landed near the lake on its three landing struts. The hatch opened up, allowing Sasami, Ryo-Ohki and Russ to exit the fighter. Both the princess and the cabbit ran toward the house, trying to get out of the cold. Sealing the hatch, Russ made his way back to the house and came inside.

"Welcome back, you two! Where did you go?" Nobuyuki asked, greeting Sasami and Russ as they entered the house. They all looked at Russ funny as he was covered from head to toe in dirt and grime. "What happened to you?" he asked, eyeballing Russ.

The two looked at each other and smiled.

"Now that," Russ began, holding up his index finger, "is a secret."

Sasami started laughing at Russ's impression of Xellos, and quickly ran up the stairs to her room, where she put the picture up on her nightstand. She returned a few moments later.

"Well, that was rather interesting. Anyway, Kiyone?" Russ said, holding the computer unit in his hands. "I have something here that you should file a report on. But don't worry about doing it today."

"What is it, Russ?"

"This is a computer data log from a derelict ship," he said, holding up the core. "This should help solve a couple thousand missing person reports."

Kiyone stood up from the table, moved over to Russ, and accepted the computer core. "Thanks for your help."

"No problem. But anyway, are you guys ready for the last and final gift I have to give everybody?" he asked, standing tall, wearing a big grin.

"I've been waiting for this," Tenchi said, holding Ryoko. "What is it?"

Russ became very serious. "Listen closely to this, as this is very important. I will be bringing a visitor here to see you people," Russ said, drawing various looks from everybody who was seated. Russ swallowed a growing lump in his throat, becoming nervous at being the center of attention from almost a dozen people. "This person can only remain here for one, twenty-four hour day. After which, I will have to take the person back. The gods are probably going to be pissed at me for doing this, but I worked it out months before, so there should be no problem."

"Well, who is it?" Nobuyuki asked, genuinely curious.

Russ took in a deep breath. "I'll go and get her," Russ said, smiling. "Please don't have a heart attack when you see her."

Everybody had mixed reactions to what he had said, but remained quiet.

"Back in a moment. Don't go anywhere," he said, putting two fingers to his forehead and disappearing.

"What do you suppose it could be?" Aeka asked, looking at Ryoko and Tenchi.

"I have absolutely no idea," he responded. "What about you, grandpa?"

Katsuhito shook his head back and forth. "I have no idea, Tenchi."

The group didn't have much more time to debate, as they heard Russ re-appear in the kitchen. The door slid open and Russ stepped out, a huge grin on his face.

"Are you sure you're all ready for this?"

"Yeah," Tenchi said.

"Remember, she can only remain here for ONE DAY. Since it is now noon, she will have to leave at noon tomorrow," he reminded them, and then turned back toward the kitchen. "Come on out now," he said quietly, accepting a hand that appeared out of sight.

Gently pulling her into view, her hand was visible first, followed by a black dress. She had brown eyes and black hair, which was wound up into a waist-length ponytail by a red band. The girl only appeared to be around seventeen or eighteen, and she was very beautiful. She had on white socks that covered her legs a little over her ankles, and her shoes were black as well. It was a complete school uniform that hadn't been worn in Japan for a good twenty-five years. One interesting attribute about the girl was her golden halo, which hovered about six inches above her head. She stepped out of the kitchen and looked at the group, smiling at everybody.

Katsuhito, Nobuyuki, and Tenchi all turned ghostly white in shock and surprise, as recognition immediately smashed through all of their heads like a tidal wave. Ryoko, Aeka, Sasami, Washu, Kiyone and Mihoshi all gasped in complete and utter surprise, watching her move from the kitchen to stand by Russ's side.

"My wife in Heaven," Nobuyuki whispered hoarsely, unable to find his voice. His hands visibly trembled while he looked the girl up and down, tears squeezing themselves out of the corners of his eyes.

Katsuhito had a similar reaction, his face frozen into shock. He too was trembling, as he stood up from the couch, slowly making his way over to the girl. Tenchi and Nobuyuki joined him, all of them transfixed on her, unable to come up with words to describe the feelings they had.

She giggled, genuinely pleased with their reactions. Smiling at each of them in turn, she stepped away from Russ and stopped in front of Nobuyuki, looking at him in the same way that she used to, long before they were married.

Grinning widely, Russ was utterly pleased with himself, watching everybody's reaction to her re-appearance. "Say hello to Achika, Tenchi's mother and Nobuyuki's wife, and daughter of Lord Katsuhito," Russ said quietly, his introduction going almost completely ignored. Russ backed off a little further, approaching the door to the outside. "Merry Christmas, everybody," he said quietly, as he slipped outside, unnoticed by everybody, except for Aeka, who caught him out the corner of her eye.

"Hi Nobuyuki," Achika greeted, smiling at her husband.

Nobuyuki carefully reached out, caressing the side of her face, the tears visibly streaming out of his eyes in happiness. "Is it really you?" he whispered.

Achika smiled, reaching up and holding his hand in hers. "It's me," she said, smiling the way she used to.

Nobuyuki slowly wrapped his arms around her and held her close, squeezing her tightly, crying into her shoulder. Achika also had tears of joy streaming down her cheeks, so very happy to be in the presence of her family again. They held each other for what seemed like an eternity, and Nobuyuki released her, looking into her eyes.

"I can't believe it," he squeaked, unable to find his voice again.

Katsuhito approached her next, his eyes wide as he looked into her own. She gazed into Katsuhito's old, wrinkled face, and then quickly wrapped her arms around him, hugging him tightly. Katsuhito stood flabbergasted, carefully wrapping his arms around her as well, holding her. He hadn't held his daughter in nearly two decades, and it felt good to do it once again.

"How did he do it?" he asked, as she buried her face into his white robes.

Raising her face up to gaze into Katsuhito's, she smiled. "Russ told me that it was because Kain had come back. Since he did, he could do this for me," she replied. "But he said it was far more complex than that, and he had to call in a lot of favors. Fortunately, the gods allowed me to keep my body, as the Grand Kai allows all the powerful warriors who perish in battle to do that. I was one of them."

Katsuhito nodded his head, completely understanding her. "Welcome back, Achika. You have no idea how much joy you've brought to his old man's heart on this day."

"Mother?" Tenchi said, finally taking his turn, stepping up to the young woman and admiring her from head to toe.

"My Tenchi," she swooned, hugging him dearly. "I'm so happy to be able to talk to you, one more time," she cried, holding him like only a mother could do. "I've watched you grow up to be the man you are today, and I couldn't be happier."

Holding his mother tightly, he began to cry. It was something he hadn't allowed himself to do for a great many years. He always told himself that men didn't cry, but it didn't matter now. His level of joy couldn't be measured by anything. "I can't believe you're here!"

"I'm here, Tenchi, but only for one day. Lets make the most of it, shall we?" she said, releasing him. She looked around the room at everybody else, all of which still had the same, awestruck expressions that they had when she walked into the room. "Hello again, everybody. It's good to see you all again."

"You remember us?" Washu asked, surprised.

Achika nodded. "After I had passed away, the memories you erased from me were restored. I know about everything that had happened."

Washu nodded her head. "It's good to see you again, Lady Achika," Washu said, still sitting next to her son. "This is my son, Akaki," she said, introducing him.

Akaki stood and bowed. "I'm humbled to meet the mother of Tenchi," he said, showing her the utmost respect. "I've been away from my mother for over twenty thousand years, and we were just reunited today."

"I know. I saw it happen," she said, nodding her head. "It makes me feel so happy to be with everybody again, even if it is only for a day."

"Please, sit down and have some tea," Katsuhito said, guiding her to the lazyboy chair. He poured the tea into a clean cup and gave it to her, which she accepted, taking a sip. "Strong as always," she giggled, drawing a light blush from her father.

"It's so wonderful to see you again, Lady Achika," Aeka said, standing up from her seat on the couch. "But, why are you only eighteen years old? I thought you passed away many years later?"

Achika smiled. "I chose to be eighteen again, because I was this age when Kain attacked us. Plus, I was this age when I met Nobuyuki," she said, causing her husband to blush a light crimson.

The princess smiled and nodded. "But you're real? You aren't like a ghost or anything?"

"Nope. This is a real body, and it is really me. The only difference is, I am dead. This halo over my head indicates that," she said pointing to it.

"I see," Katsuhito said, rubbing his chin.

"You say that too much, daddy," she said, giggling.

Katsuhito grinned, chuckling quietly.

Sasami approached her from the side and smiled. "Hi," she said, smiling, and bowing politely.

"Sasami. It's very nice to see you again," Achika said. "I'm glad to see you're happy and well."

The little princess giggled, and then moved away from her, sitting down on the floor.

"It is very nice to see you again, Achika, but I must excuse myself," Aeka said, getting her coat and mittens. "I have to go talk to someone."

Achika nodded her head. "Go get him, Aeka. Don't ever give up."

She froze for a moment, and then smiled. "I'll never give up. I won't let this one go. Ever."

Aeka and Achika shared a knowing glance, and then Aeka went outside.

"I've been watching those two as well," Achika said. "It almost reminds me of how it went between Nobuyuki and myself. I would've never guessed that he'd become a pervert after I passed away," she laughed, causing Nobuyuki to turn as red as one of the Christmas tree bulbs. "I'm just teasing, sweetie."

Nobuyuki chuckled, scratching the back of his head. "None of them compared to you, my dear," he replied.

"Good answer," she replied, blushing slightly.

"So mom, what's it like in Heaven?" Tenchi asked, drawing curious looks from the group.

Achika shook her head. "I can't say much about it, as I've been forbidden to do so. But I can tell you that it is the most beautiful, amazing place that could possibly exist. I can see you any time I want, and even though you can't see me, there have been plenty of times that I've stood right next to you, watching you grow up into the young man that you've become," she described, smiling. "And you're going to get married! I was so overjoyed to watch you propose to Ryoko that I almost couldn't stand waiting for Russ to come and get me!"

Tenchi looked at her in surprise. "You saw that?"

Nodding her head yes, she smiled. "I've been watching everything today, as I knew that I'd be coming back to visit everybody. As I said before, he arranged it months ahead of time."

"I wonder how Russ found the time to do all of that," Kiyone said, listening to everybody. "He was always so busy training himself."

"I've seen that too," Achika said. "I've seen people like him in Heaven before. One of them was named Goku, and he looked almost identical to Russ, except he was a bit shorter, and he always wore orange clothes. He didn't seem to be very smart, but he was a very nice person and easy to get along with. He introduced me to some of his friends and they were all nice as well."

"Wow! What kind of food do they have there?" Mihoshi asked, thinking about mountains of sweets that she could eat.

Laughing to herself, Achika shook her head. "Food is never a problem. All the sweets you can eat, Mihoshi," she responded. "But anyway, please don't ask any more questions about Heaven. Instead, I'd like to talk with you guys about you. How has my son been treating everybody?"

Washu cackled evilly. "He's my little guinea pig," she said, causing Akaki to look at her curiously. "He's a very good one too."

Achika started laughing. "What kind of experiments have you done to him?"

Washu grinned even wider. "You really wanna know?"

Smiling widely, she nodded her head yes.

"Well, the very first time I scanned him turned out to be very interesting. You remember it, don't you Tenchi?" Washu asked, causing him to squirm uncomfortably. Ryoko shot her a look of death, causing Washu to grin even wider. "Wait 'till I tell her about the experiments I've done on you, Ryoko."

Everybody sat back and listened as Washu described some of the things she had done with Tenchi, carefully avoiding any perverted things she had attempted. Each person described things that they had done with Tenchi, most of them very hilarious, causing Tenchi to blush and Achika to almost fall out of her chair laughing. They were all having a great time, ignoring the passage of the hours.

It was still very cold outside, but Russ ignored it as he went to Tenchi's training ground, exercising at two thousand times Earth's normal gravity. Performing his normal routine, he allowed his mind to wander, thinking about all of the events that transpired throughout the day. However, despite all the joy that he had given everybody, he still felt a tinge of depression, nagging him at the back of his mind. No matter how much joy he could give or receive, he continued to feel alone and depressed, even in a group of people who loved him.

Living with Tenchi and his family for the past six months had been quite a ride, as he went to the Startica festival with everybody, fought against Kain, and now, Christmas. Everybody always did their best to include Russ in their activities, but it still didn't matter. He still felt alone and cut off from the outside world. He knew of Zorpheus's impending arrival and he knew that he had to be at one hundred ten percent to stand a chance of actually defeating him. They had never fought to kill each other before, and Russ knew that when a life was on the line, it was a fight where anything goes. If you win, you live. If you lose, you die. It was that simple. There were no rules.

Continuing to rapidly punch and kick in the air, spinning around an invisible circle, he continued to wonder what would happen if he did lose. He knew failure was not an option, but was possible. Would Zorpheus be inclined to destroy the planet and everybody on it? Knowing Zorpheus, he probably wouldn't, but it was still a strong possibility. Would he take his frustrations out on all of his friends? Again, it was not likely, but possible.

Russ shuddered at the thought of him harming any of his new friends, especially Aeka. She was always so kind, considerate, and happy around him, and she was one of the most beautiful people he had ever met, in mind, body, and spirit. He had only known one person before Aeka who was very similar to her, and she was killed as a result of his inability to stop it. He only acquired the power necessary after she was murdered, but by then, what difference did it make? She was already gone and the power meant nothing. Russ was able to annihilate and destroy all the people who had killed her, but he couldn't do the one thing that he wanted to do, and that was save her life. Never again would he allow something like that to happen. Not now. Not ever. And in making his decision, he closed himself off, trying to avoid the love of a woman for the rest of his life. He would never reveal the real reason behind it all, but instead, make up excuse after excuse. He almost let it slip when Ryoko asked about it after the Kain incident, only telling her that there was a girl who was almost like Aeka is. Except his relationship with that girl was just about ready to progress to the next step, when it went up in a fireball.

Russ stopped his exercises and looked into the clear, blue, afternoon sky, the sun shining brightly as the sparrows continued to chirp in the bare trees. Even though the atmosphere was wonderful and beautiful, Russ hung his head, now thinking about Aeka. She was so perfect in so many ways, and it killed him to keep telling her no over and over. He would give anything to have her, but the risk was far, far too great. If she were to be killed as a result of trying to become involved in one of his affairs, he knew that he would probably go insane. Even though he tried to block out his feelings, he did love her, with almost all of his heart. He knew that she loved him too and wanted to be with him, and it was becoming increasingly difficult to keep telling her no. An aching heart can usually only be healed by the love of another, and he continually denied himself that love, saying that it was for the best. Zorpheus always told him, "That is the biggest bunch of bullshit I've ever heard."

Making his way over to the shrine, Russ cracked a smile, thinking back to how Zorpheus would always try to be a playboy, always asking other women out on a date, most of which left him groaning in pain from a kick to the crotch. But that never stopped him. The one thing Russ knew about him is that he enjoyed the chase more than the prize, and that he was hard pressed to get into bed, even by some of the most drop-dead gorgeous women in the universe. He still had a high sense of morals and ethics, and Russ was proud of him for that. Just that Zorpheus liked to touch far more than he should have.

Reaching the top of the hill, Russ looked around at the snow-covered ground, realizing that he should probably remove the snow from the pathways, as it would have to be done later anyway. Placing his hand out in front of him, he created a strong wind that blew the snow away, looking like a blizzard in front of him. Slowly moving forward, he slowly cleared all the snow from the paths around the shrine. Once he finished, he picked up a large clump of snow, rolled it into a snowball, and then began rolling the ball on the ground, gathering more and more snow. After walking a full circle around the shrine, the ball was nearly six feet in diameter, and Russ grinned in satisfaction. Rolling up a second snowball, he made another trip around the shrine, taking a shorter path. The resulting ball was five feet in diameter, weighing almost a ton. Carefully, Russ worked his hands under the snowball, lifted it up easily, and set it down on the first ball, packing it tightly to keep it from rolling off. Rolling up a third snowball, he made a very short trip around the building, resulting in a much smaller ball, which he set on top of the snowman, packing it down to keep it from rolling off. Placing his hand out in front of him, he produced just enough energy to melt the outside of the snowman, allowing the water to seep into the snow, packing it down even tighter, and then allowed it to freeze. He stepped back and admired his handiwork, and then punched a few small holes in the head for eyes, another for the nose, and a long line for a big smile.

Russ sighed, looking at it. Even though he made it smile, he was still sad and unhappy on the inside. Shaking his head, he turned around to head back down the steps, planning on exercising a little more, but stopped in his tracks when he saw Aeka standing at the top of the stairs, her hands folded in front of her as she smiled at him. He walked toward her, but didn't return her smile, and instead, let the hole in his heart grow a little larger. It took almost everything he had to keep from bursting into tears in front of her.

"What's wrong?" she asked as he gave her a fake smile, and then tried to walk past her.

"Nothing, Aeka. Just thinking."

She grabbed his arm, preventing him from leaving her there. "You've been doing a lot of that lately. You've been hiding it very well, but you're not happy. I can tell just by the way you made that snowman."

Russ shook his head, pulling himself free. "I'm sorry, Aeka. I should be happier since it is Christmas and all, but I'm not."

"Why?"  
"I miss my parents," he lied, hoping that she'd buy into it.

"I remember you talking about that quite a while ago. But for some reason, I'm finding it harder and harder to believe that. You're hiding something, and I want to know what."

"I'm sorry, Aeka, but this is something I cannot talk to anybody about. Please, go back inside with the family. It's cold out here," Russ said, starting to descend the stairs.

Aeka turned and kept pace with him. "They're all visiting with Achika, and you're out here alone. I'd rather be here with you," she said.

Cracking a slight smile, Russ shook his head. "Thanks, but that isn't necessary."

"Who cares if it is or isn't? I want to be here, and unless you don't want me here, I'm sticking with you for today."

"Why?"

"I need a reason to be next to you?" she said, sounding hurt.

Russ stopped and looked her in the eyes, and they shared a moment of the same, lonely depression. "No. You don't need a reason. It's just that I'm more of a loner."

"It isn't good to be alone, especially on a day like today. Please, come with me," she said, taking his arm, trying to lead him somewhere.

"Aeka, stop. I already told you before, and I hate to keep reminding you of it. I don't want anything between us. Friendship is okay, but nothing more."

"I'm only being friends with you right now, and I know you don't want to progress it any further, but I want to. I'm not going to stop until you say yes," she said, yanking his arm, spinning him around to face her directly. "I'm not someone you can just push aside and walk away. I have feelings too, you know, and they can be hurt just as easily as your own!"

"I know that! I told you on the day that we met that you shouldn't pursue me or become interested in me. I knew you were depressed and I said some things that I probably shouldn't have. The big one was telling you to wait for me after the battle with Zorpheus. I did try to set the record straight about a week later, but I think you made your mind up."

"That's right," she said, squeezing his arms tightly. "I have made my mind up. I… want to be with you for the rest of my life," she said, trembling, letting the tears fall out of the corners of her eyes. "I've never had the guts to even tell Tenchi that, but I'm sure of it with you. You've got nothing to lose and everything to gain."

Russ hung his head, furious at himself for making her cry. But he knew that he was going to have to do it yet again, and it tore at his heart like a lion on its prey. "I did it again. I made you cry. I'm sorry Aeka, but I can't do it. I made a decision a long time ago, a personal vow that I would never fall in love."

Aeka looked at him in shock as Russ grimaced, realizing that he just revealed the secret he's been trying to keep concealed. "What?" she asked, unsure if she heard him correctly.

"It's true. I've made a personal promise to myself that I'd never fall in love. It almost happened once, and because of a horrific tragedy, I swore I'd never do it again. Never," he said, turning away from Aeka and continuing down the steps. "The pain was just too great."

Leaping forward, she grabbed him again, holding him tightly from behind. "I don't care about your stupid promise to yourself," she said.

"Aeka, please stop. Even if you did love me, I still couldn't return it. I won't allow myself to."

Spinning him around again, she slapped him straight across the face, her hand leaving a red welt on Russ's cheek. He almost didn't seem to notice. "WAKE UP, RUSS!" she screamed, shaking him back and forth. "WHY?!"

"Do you really want to know?" he asked quietly, his face turned away from her.

"Please!" she said, the tears streaming down her face.

"I had almost fallen in love, once. It was with a beautiful girl I had met on a planet fairly close to Earth. Her name was Laurie, and she was the most absolute perfect girl I had ever met in my life. She was always happy, always had a bright and cheery thing to say, and could bring me out of my most foul moods with her smile. She wasn't much of a fighter or a warrior, but she didn't need to be. We had done everything together. We went out together on several occasions, cooked for each other, and enjoyed each other's company. Whenever we had a day off, we'd spend it together. We'd always call each other and talk to each other when we were apart, and it almost felt as if we were married, or at least, at the first stage of dating. But we really didn't get serious until after we had been friends for about a year. She told me that she wanted something more, and honestly, I did too. We never kissed each other, as we never got the chance. Only a day after she said she wanted to go steady, the planet was attacked by a group of pirate raiders. They bombarded the planet, killed almost everybody who stood in their way. Emergency calls went out on every single communications channel, and I teleported back to her planet. The men who were there were extremely strong. They were more powerful than I was, as I tried to stop them from harming her. I tried to fight them off, but I couldn't do it. Laurie had come out of the house, screaming at them to stop, but they just laughed and continued to pound me. She turned and ran back into the house, locking the door behind her, as she knew that she couldn't do anything," Russ described, recalling the memory in perfect detail.

Listening in shock, Aeka didn't say anything, as this came as a total surprise to her.

Russ continued. "The leader of the group told me and his men to watch what happens to those who stand against him, as he pointed his hand at the house, releasing a large beam, destroying the house and my friend in a tremendously huge fireball. Laurie was instantly killed, and when that happened, a part of me died too. I became infuriated, and could feel my blood boiling with a rage that I had never felt before. The men who were holding me couldn't do it any longer, as I easily tossed them away like rag dolls. I lost my mind, my humanity, and my sanity all at once, as I transformed and became a super saiyan for the first time. Captain Ginyu described it best. I became, 'a radically efficient killing machine.' I didn't feel anything as I destroyed each of the men in turn, killing them off effortlessly. The leader tried to turn and run, but I put my fist straight through him, ripping out his heart. I'll never forget the look on that man's face as he saw his own heart beating in front of him for his last seconds of life, before he crumpled to the ground, dead. I vaporized him afterwards, and then killed his entire gang, destroyed all of his ships, everything. I couldn't be stopped by any means. All I saw was red," Russ said, closing his fists tightly, playing back the event again in his head. "But even after I had defeated the gang and their leader, I couldn't bring my Laurie back. I screamed to the Heavens, begging them to give her back to me, but to no avail. She got involved with me, and as a result, she was killed. I vowed to myself that I'd never allow anything like that to happen again, so I promised myself that I'd never fall in love. It was not only to protect me, but to protect anybody else who was close to me."

"Oh my god," Aeka whispered, stunned at his revelation. "I never knew."

"And you would've never known if you didn't ask. I was going to carry that incident with me to my grave, alone. I don't need someone else shouldering it too. I don't wish that burden on anyone," he said, looking down at the Masaki house, which still looked bright, cheery, and festive.

"Russ?"

Sighing to himself, he allowed himself to relax a little. "What is it, Aeka?"

"You're blaming yourself for something that you couldn't prevent," she said, walking down the steps to stand in front of him. "Even if you didn't become involved, she might've still been killed."

Russ shook his head. "If she hadn't come outside and demanded that they stop, she might've lived and had gone ignored. I should've died that day, not her."

"But Russ…" she began.

"I'm sorry, Aeka," he interrupted. "I've said too much already. Go back to the house and join everybody with Achika," he said, lifting off into the air.

"Please wait!" she called after him, but he ignored her. "I'm chasing you away again, aren't I?"

Stopping his ascent, he hovered in the air, looking like a statue. Aeka lifted off the ground and joined him, stopping at his height so she could look him in the eyes. He looked back at her with such a hurt expression that Aeka thought he was going to start crying himself.

"I'm sorry, Russ. I didn't mean to re-open old wounds. But I want to shoulder that burden with you," she said, placing her hands on his shoulders.

"No. This is my problem, and my problem alone," he responded stubbornly, looking at her, but his gaze wasn't focused on her at all. "You're a great friend, Aeka. The best one I've ever had, really. If I could, I'd go out with you in a nanosecond. You are very beautiful, in the body, in the face, and in the mind. You are an asset to your planet, Princess Aeka," he said, using her title. "Your little sister thinks of me as her big brother at times. She loves playing games, cooking, and doing lots of fun things with me, and it helps me forget about my past. But when you're around, that old wound continues to fester, as I remember what happened to her, so many years ago. You're so much like her too. Just as beautiful, almost always smiling, and always having a kind thing to say no matter what I do. If you become involved with me, the risk to you would be too great. I can't let anything happen to you, as you are far more important than I."

"Stop right there," she said, growing frustrated and angry. "You think that because I have a title, that my life is more important than yours?"

Russ nodded, looking away.

"You're human, just like me. We breathe the same air, eat the same food, and do the same things. How could you possibly think that?"

"You live here with us, for now. One day, you will go back home to rule the most powerful empire in this galaxy," he said, causing her to stop her tirade. "That is your destiny or your fate. Me, on the other hand, will continue to fight for the good of the universe, if I survive the battle with Zorpheus. If I die, it's no big deal. Maybe a dozen people would miss me, and even they would eventually forget about me. You, if you happened to die or get killed, an entire EMPIRE would be devastated. Now do you see what I mean?" Russ asked, still floating in mid-air over the shrine steps.

Aeka stopped and looked at him, unable to come up with a counter to his argument. She hung her head, letting out a deep sigh. "You could come with me, you know," she said.

Shaking his head, Russ reached under her tear-streaked chin and carefully brought her face up to his. "That would never work, and you know it. I am a man from a race thought to be extinct, and he just waltzes in to become the Princess's groom? No, that couldn't happen. The entire planet would probably go up in civil war."

"So what?" she said, squeezing his shoulders more tightly. "I don't care about that."

"Aeka, you're letting your feelings cloud your judgment. You're being selfish, and that is not like you. You know it is for the best that we do not go any further, and I do too. You have a planet and an empire that you will eventually lead to greatness far beyond what your parents have established. I know you will. You're fair, just, kind, and compassionate, all of which I find to be necessary qualities of being the ruler of an empire," Russ said, smiling. "There is never a problem with a princess befriending someone of lower status, but a relationship is out of the question."

Floating quietly, still having her hands on Russ's huge shoulders, she began to quietly sob to herself. She pulled herself closer to Russ, wrapping her arms around him, and then burying her face in his coat, letting out all of her frustrations over her stature, her life, her fate, and her anger. "It's not fair," she sobbed.

"It's okay, Aeka," Russ said, bringing his arms up to hold her. "I will always be your friend and I'll always be there when you need me," he said, slowly descending to the ground. "That's what friends are for, ya know?"

They both touched down on the ground, their feet crunching in the snow, still holding each other closely. Aeka had finally stopped crying, but she didn't get go of him, but Russ didn't mind it. It felt good to hold another in his arms like that, as he hadn't done it since he was with Laurie. She was so warm and soft, and Russ wished that he could hold her forever, but he knew that the evils of the universe would eventually tear her away from him. If it wasn't going to be the Jurai Empire, it was going to be an opponent of his. Either way, he knew it wouldn't last, or couldn't last. But just for the few minutes he was holding her, he would've told the entire universe to sit down and rotate if it had tried to take her from him.

Quietly, Russ began to hum a song to himself, which he had heard from the Ah! My Goddess movie. It was called luna aeterna Nemuri wo Samasu Mono, which was sung by the goddess Belldandy. It was a very beautiful and peaceful song, and Russ hoped that it would calm her frayed nerves, as well as his own. Music always soothed the savage beast.

Sighing softly, Aeka finally stood up on her own, steadying herself by holding onto Russ's arms, and then she gazed into his eyes. Her cheeks were stained from the many tears she had shed today, but it didn't matter. Even though he continued to say no, she knew he loved him, and that's all that mattered. She knew that it was only a matter of time before he'd say yes, and all she had to do was wait.

"Well mom," Akaki said, standing up from the cushion his mother provided for him. "I should get back home now. I have to work tomorrow and my boss will kill me if I'm late again."

Washu turned around from her latest weapon of death and destruction, a handheld flak cannon not all that dissimilar from the one seen in Unreal Tournament. "I wish you didn't have to go so soon, but it's okay. Where do you live now?"

Akaki approached her laptop, keyed a few commands, and a star chart appeared. A targeting scope focused on one part of the galaxy and zoomed in, focused on a cluster of stars in between Jurai and Earth, zooming in further, and finally, he focused on a blue giant star, then brought up a large image of that planetary system. "I live here," he said, pointing to the fourth planet from the sun.

"Bikinawa? That's supposed to be a very nice place," Washu observed.

"It is. The weather control system on that planet is superb. They have it rain about every two days, and it's always scheduled so there are no surprises. I've lived there with my stepmother up to now," he said, scratching his head.

"Your stepmother is still around?" Washu questioned, looking at him curiously.

"Yeah. She's probably wondering what is taking me so long to come back home," Akaki chuckled. "She worries, but I love her anyway. Maybe one of these days I can have her meet you."

"I'd like that," Washu agreed. "She raised you to be a very good young man. You should be very proud of her, and she of you."

"Oh, I am," Akaki said, thumping his chest. "She's the best."

Washu laughed quietly to herself, hiding what she was really feeling behind a mask of happiness. "You better call or come visit me soon, son. I'll be looking forward to hearing from you again."

Smiling widely, he hugged his mother tightly. "One question, mom. Why are you so young?"

Quietly taking in a breath, she let it out slowly. Backing away from her son, she bowed her head, put her hands together in front of her, and in the span of only a second, she morphed into her adult form. She grew nearly two feet in height, her hair got much longer, and her clothes stretched tight around her ample frame.

Akaki looked like he was about to pass out, but he recovered a few moment later, admiring the way his mother was supposed to look. "I'm glad to see you finally came out of your shell, mother," he said. "I knew you were hiding your true form, but I must admit, I didn't know you were going to turn out like that," he said, ogling her.

Washu smiled, striking a pose for him. "What do you think?" she asked, her voice considerably deeper than it was.

"Great."

"Good. Now stop staring at me like that. It isn't healthy," she teased, causing Akaki to turn red and look away.

"I'm very happy that I was able to see you again, mom. It was the most amazing thing I had ever heard when Russ told me he knew where you were and what relation you were to me. If you hadn't told him about me, he might not have ever attempted to find me and reunite us. I have no idea what Christmas is, but I guess it is a holiday where miracles happen," he said, hugging Washu one more time.

"It is. I'm going to have to do something to repay him one of these days," she said, holding her son once again. "I wish you didn't have to go so soon."

"Me neither, but I have to. I will call you and visit you as often as I can though. You can count on that."

Washu smiled, satisfied with his answer. "How are you going to get home?"

"I guess Russ can just zap me back home, like he did when he brought me here," he said, scratching his head. "I have no idea how he does that."

"Come on, Akaki. Let's go say goodbye to the family and then you can go," she said, pulling him out of the lab once again.

Walking through the doorway and finding themselves in the living room once more, Achika, Nobuyuki, Tenchi, and Katsuhito were all seated on the furniture, quietly talking to each other. Washu knew that it was going to be a very long night for them, as they still had so much catching up to do. It warmed her heart to see them so happy once again, and her happiness was right up with theirs. Russ had made it the best holiday they had ever been involved in.

"Hey guys," Akaki said, getting their attention. "I have to be going home now, but it was a great pleasure to meet all of you, including you, Achika. I wish you all well, and I'll be back to visit sometime in the future. Washu will make sure of that," he said, eyeing his mom, who hadn't changed out of her adult form.

"Washu? Why are you so… grown?" Nobuyuki asked, casting his eyes to her blouse, which looked like it was going to burst open at any moment.

"I cast off my shell. It's time I grew up and faced facts. Besides, I have my son here with me now, so there is no reason for me to be like that anymore. Because of how adults had behaved, I turned myself into a child, never, ever wanting to grow up, because I was afraid I'd become like the ones that took my son away. But I no longer have to worry about that anymore," she said, gazing into her son's eyes. "Take care of yourself, Akaki." She threw her arms around him once more and squeezed him tightly, trying to keep herself from crying.

"We'll be seeing you later then," Tenchi said, smiling at him. "You're welcome back here anytime."

"Thanks Tenchi. I really appreciate that," he said, bowing respectfully. "But where's Russ? I need him to take me back home."

"He left the house several hours ago and hasn't come back in yet. I think he's with Aeka or something," Nobuyuki said, looking outside at the darkening sky. "It's amazing how time flies when you're occupied."

"Indeed," Washu said, sighing quietly to herself. "Far too fast."

Akaki walked to the door and peered outside. The little light that still existed was still more than enough to see out to the forest, as the snow had made the outside considerably brighter. "There he is," he said, looking toward the lake.

Aeka and Russ were walking toward the spaceship. She was hanging on Russ's arm and they moved slowly, seemingly not affected at all by the blustery cold.

Poking his head out the door, he yelled to the twosome. "Russ! I'm ready to head back home now! Can you take me back?" he called

"Sure! Just one second!" Russ yelled back, turning to Aeka and telling her to wait a moment. Russ quickly made his way over to Washu's son and smiled. "Ready?"

"Yeah," he said, turning toward everybody again. "Say goodbye to Mihoshi, Sasami, and Kiyone for me, would you?" he requested.

Tenchi nodded his head. "No problem."

Akaki turned back toward Russ and extended his hand. "Let's go."

Grasping his hand in his own, Russ put two fingers to his forehead, but before he teleported, he saw a tear trickle out of the corner of Washu's eye, as she smiled and waved. He initiated the instantaneous movement ability a second later, and vanished.

"Goodbye, my son," Washu said again, her hand outstretched to where her son stood just moments before.

Washu felt a hand on her shoulder and she looked into the wizened face of Katsuhito, who looked at her with sympathy. Turning toward him, she buried her face in his robes, quietly sobbing.

"He will come back, you know," Katsuhito said quietly, holding her gently.

"It still doesn't make it any easier. I was only able to see him for such a short period of time today. But I know he'll come back soon," she said, pulling away from the Shinto priest. Sniffing and drying her eyes, she turned and went back into her lab, gently closing the door behind her.

It was now late at night, but Achika, Tenchi, and Ryoko were all still awake, even after everybody else had gone to bed. Russ and Aeka were still awake too, as they hadn't come inside yet. Sasami was asleep, snuggled next to Ryo-Ohki, Kiyone and Mihoshi were both sleeping soundly, happy to be in good company once again, and Nobuyuki was dozing, a smile on his face. He couldn't stay awake any longer from getting up so early, and the sake didn't help either.

Tenchi and his mother had talked with each other ever since the rest of the family had gone to bed. He had been waiting for an opportunity to talk with her on his own, even though Ryoko refused to go to bed until he went himself. She remained quiet, contentedly snuggled up against Tenchi's arm, dozing off from time to time.

Achika looked at her, and smiled. "Your fiancé is very pretty, Tenchi. She looks so cute like that, snuggled against your arm."

Looking down at the top of her head, admiring her spiky, cyan hair, he smiled and nodded. "She's not like anybody I've ever known. I love her and want to spend the rest of my life with her. It took me so long to decide to do that, but I really had to listen to my heart. I decided that this is the woman that I want to live out the rest of my days with, and I know she wants the same."

"I know. I've seen some of the events that had led to this, Tenchi. I saw the Haruna incident, the Kain incident, and many other things that made me believe that you were in love with this girl. Aeka was deeply in love with you too, but even she realized that you didn't love her in the same way that you loved Ryoko, and in turn, she surrendered you to her. It was one of the most beautiful things I had ever seen and it couldn't have been played out any better than that," Achika said quietly, trying not to disturb the sleeping space pirate. "Aeka was heartbroken, but she choose to do it, despite what you might've thought. Even though you never actually chose, they did it for you."

"Yeah. I remember how strangely everybody was acting when I had come back. Ryoko was more calm, but stayed near me far more often than Aeka did, and whenever Ryoko would show a display of affection, Aeka didn't mind it or challenge it. After a while, Ryoko and Aeka quit fighting altogether and became good friends. It has been a lot more peaceful around here since that time. Once in a while, I almost miss the loudness and the chaos," he said, watching his mother who was still sitting on the lazyboy recliner.

Giggling quietly, she smiled. "Yes. But Aeka was very depressed for along time, even though she did her best not to show it. However, ever since Russ has entered her life, she has become her old self again, but more mature, to a point. She tries to do little things to get his attention, but he's nothing like you," Achika explained, looking out the window at Ryu-Oh. "Even though he'd probably never admit it, he IS in love with Aeka. It's just that he had something happen in his past that made him the way he is today."

Tenchi listened curiously. "Really? You know why he acts like that?"

She nodded. "But I cannot tell you that. That is something that he'd have to reveal to you on his own. Do not go asking him about it or it may make him very, very angry at Aeka, because right now, she is the only one who knows about it."

"Really? When did he tell her?"

"Today."

Tenchi raised his eyebrow in surprise. "How do you know?"

"Remember Tenchi, I am dead. In being this way, I have access to knowledge that nobody else would imagine. I can read your mind, Russ's mind, or do almost whatever I please like this," she explained, resting her head and curling up on the chair, yawning. "He did tell her today. I wasn't paying complete attention to it, but I know he did it."

Sighing quietly to himself, Tenchi smiled, and then yawned. "I still wish I could've grown up with you, mom. I really missed not having you around. Dad did the best he could and I'm proud of him for everything that he has done, except for becoming the biggest pervert this side of Japan," he said, chuckling. "Grandpa helped him out as much as he could, but still, I missed having a motherly figure around the house. I wish you hadn't passed away so young," Tenchi said, looking a little sad.

Achika slowly looked down to the floor, letting the smile slip from her face. "I wish I didn't die as young as I did either, Tenchi. I wasn't able to be there when you needed me, or was I able to comfort you when you were feeling down. I couldn't do anything but watch. When you were sad, I was sad. When you were happy, I was happy. Watching you grow up was absolutely wonderful, but not being a part of your life made it one of the worst things I've ever known."

"It's okay, mom. You saved your life and my father's life during the first battle with Kain. You sacrificed a lot of your life to make sure we all had a future. I'm proud of you, mom. I couldn't be more proud of you."

Achika looked up into Tenchi's brown eyes, seeing nothing but truthfulness and happiness from him. The tears flowed freely for a few moments, but she brushed them away, and then smiled. "Thank you, Tenchi. I always wondered how you felt about me not being there. It makes me feel so good to hear you say that. You mean the world to me, Tenchi. You still do."

Tenchi grinned. "I know."

"Well, it is very late. We should go to bed," Achika said, her eyes half closed, but she was smiling and looked very contented.

"Yeah. It's past eleven, and I'm usually in bed around nine or ten," he said, looking out the window. "I'm so happy to have you back, even if it was just for one day."

Achika continued to smile. "I'm very happy that Russ arranged it," she said. "I'm not sure about all of the details, but I think Kain was killed and that he escaped from Hell, but I could still be mistaken. But I know that he came back here just to get revenge on you and everybody else. The one thing he didn't count on was Russ being here."

"It's a good thing he was here, or I don't know what would've happened."

"Kain was a very powerful being, but nothing in any universe can touch what a saiyan warrior can do," she said, thinking back to the confrontation. "But because Kain had done what he did, Russ was able to arrange for my return as well. This had only been done one time before in the past, and that was with Goku, about a thousand years ago."

Tenchi scratched his head. "I can't remember, but I think Russ might've said it was only a hundred years ago. Oh well. Maybe my memory is failing me. Too sleepy," he said, chuckling.

"Let's go to bed, Tenchi. I'll still be here in the morning and I'll be here until noon tomorrow."

"Are you sure you can't stay any longer?" Tenchi asked, hoping that she could.

Achika shook her head. "I must return to Heaven. It was difficult enough for Russ just to give me the one day. Apparently, the Grand Kai threw a fit, but when he realized what had happened, he became sympathetic to me and him, and decided to allow it."

"I'll have to make sure Russ knows that I really appreciate what he has done for us. All of us," he said, looking at Ryoko, who was still sleeping peacefully, leaning against his arm.

"Would you like to know how he made your compatibility possible?" she asked, watching Tenchi's ears perk up in interest.

Looking from side to side, he nodded his head. "Sure."

Achika leaned forward a little and lowered her voice. "Have you ever heard of the Dragonballs?"

Tenchi nodded his head. "Yeah. Russ mentioned them on a couple of occasions."

"They have the power to grant wishes. The balls summon a dragon god named Shenron, and that god will grant the person up to three wishes. Russ used them last night."

"Really? When did he do it?"

"After everybody had gone to bed and went to sleep. I was here with everybody, and I watched what Russ was doing. He flew out of the house when everybody had fallen asleep and went to Kame's lookout, where they had gathered the Dragonballs for him. Once he summoned the dragon, he made his three wishes. The first one was major, in that he wished for the dragon's ability to grant immorality to be banished forever. The second wish was to restore Aeka's ship, and the third wish was for you two to become compatible and be able to bear a healthy, happy baby," Achika said, watching Tenchi's widening eyes.

"So he DID perform a miracle last night," he said, looking at her in wonder.

She nodded her head. "Yes."

"Then we owe him a debt of gratitude that we can never repay," Tenchi said, leaning back into the couch a little more, adjusting his arm, which was starting to fall asleep. Ryoko stirred slightly, then drifted back to sleep.

Achika shook her head. "No. He did it because he wanted to, not because you asked it of him. It was a gift from him to you, and seeing you two smile was more than enough to make him satisfied."

"Still, I wish I could do something like that for him. It seems almost unfair that he should perform miracles for our sake when we can't return the favor."

"That's what I love about you, Tenchi. You're always so kind and fair. Your father and grandfather raised you well. I'm so proud of you, my son," she said, smiling.

Tenchi blushed, embarrassed over the praise he was receiving. "Thank you, mom."

They sat in silence for a few moments, and then Achika stood up from her seat, stretching her arms over her head, letting out a big yawn. "It's time for bed," she whispered. "I'll see you in the morning, Tenchi."

"Where are you going to sleep?"

"With my husband, of course," she said, smiling. "He'll be pleasantly surprised to wake up next to me, just like he used to," she said, remembering the many good times she shared with him.

Tenchi nodded his head. "Good night, mom. See you in the morning," he said, watching her quietly ascend the stairs and turn down the hallway, her long, black ponytail trailing behind her. He turned his attention to his new bride to be, and gently scooped her up in his arms. She was a little heavier than he thought she'd be, but he was very careful and gentle with her, as he too, climbed the stairs to his bedroom.

After closing the door behind him, he quietly walked over to his bed and carefully laid Ryoko down on the mattress, which was unmade from when they woke up early this morning. Covering her up, he looked down on her, thinking she resembled a kitten, snuggled under the covers. She looked so happy and contented, and it warmed his heart even more. Bliss was almost an understatement for the happiness that he felt, and nothing could take that away from him.

He took off most of his clothes and he too, slid under the covers, but he then started thinking about his mother's return to the other world, and how he'd probably never see her again for the rest of his life. But still, it was a huge treat to be able to see her again. Remarkable, amazing, or even a marvel couldn't describe what Russ had done for him and his family in bringing her back.

Sleep continued to pull at Tenchi's mind, and he closed his eyes, allowing sleep to overtake him, recharging his mind, body, and soul for the last and final day of Achika's return.

"Well, Aeka. We should go inside the house and go to bed. It's almost midnight," Russ said, sitting on the mirror bench that she kept in her room onboard Ryu-Oh. Aeka was seated at the foot of her bed, and they had been talking to each other for the past several hours. She had given Russ a tour of her ship, showing him the many interesting technologies that went into the construction of a Royal Tree-ship. She could tell that Russ was impressed, but he was disappointed in the lack of computerized technology.

For the fourth time in the last fifteen minutes, Aeka yawned, stretching her arms over her head. Flopping back onto her king-sized bed, she continued to stretch, causing her sweater to roll up her stomach, exposing a little bit of skin, but she quickly re-adjusted it and covered herself back up again.

"We should, I guess. Everybody is probably wondering where we went," she said, looking at the ceiling of her room, which was covered in an abundance of plant life. The soft lighting of her bedroom accentuated it, making it look very cozy.

Russ stood up from the bench, rubbing his behind from sitting on it awkwardly. "I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

Looking at him with happy, but tired eyes, she smiled. "Why don't we just spend the night in my ship? Nobody will miss us. Sasami has Ryo-Ohki and you sleep alone, so why not?" she invited.

Grinning, Russ shook his head. "And start all kinds of rumors? No way."

"What if we make those rumors true?" she grinned, the light reflecting off of her amethyst eyes, making her look far, far more attractive in the low light. The shadows enhanced her look, especially around her chest area.

Russ closed his eyes, but continued to smile. "Now Aeka, we talked about that already. We're just friends. That's all."

"You're no fun," she teased, rolling onto her side to face him directly, as he moved over to the stairs. "Come on. You can sleep on the floor or in the bed. It doesn't matter. I'm not going to do anything and I know you're not. It's just a sleepover. Nothing more," she invited again, smiling seductively.

"You don't know when to quit, do you?"

"Nope. Never," she responded, sitting up. "Besides, I haven't slept in my bed since Ryu-Oh crashed about three years ago."

"I'm not stopping you from being here," Russ said, leaning against the doorjamb. "I'll be heading back to my igloo for a room. I'll see you in the morning, Aeka."

For the very first time, Aeka used a zanzoken technique, and appeared directly in Russ's path. He stopped in his tracks, utterly surprised that she had learned it without any additional help. "When the…"

"Going somewhere?" she giggled, pushing him back into the room. "I've got a spare futon. You can sleep right here," she said, pointing to the foot of her bed.

"Aeka! Now cut that out," he said, trying to get around her.

"Cut what out, Tenchi?" she said, causing him to look at her in bewilderment.

"Tenchi?! What are you talking about?"

Aeka grinned. "You're acting just like he used to." She again gave him a gentle shove, pushing him a little further into the room. "Just spend the night in here. That's all I ask. What's the harm in that?"

"What's the harm in me going back to my room?" Russ retorted, starting to enjoy her teasing a little.

"You have no idea how vindictive a Jurian Princess can be when she's been scorned or refused," she said, looking into his eyes with a fire that Russ had never seen before. "Let me fetch the futon and you can sleep down there," she said.

"But, I don't have my fan here. I always have to have a fan or something running when I go to sleep. It helps me relax," he said, now feeling uncomfortable.

"Excuses, excuses," she said, walking past him to her closet, where she fetched a blue futon. She threw it at him, but he caught it easily. "Make your bed. You're spending the night in here, with me," she said, smiling. "I must change into my nightclothes. Don't go anywhere now, or I'll have to hurt you." Turning away from him, she went into her walk-in closet, looking for her silk lingerie nightgown.

Russ groaned quietly to himself, knowing he was going to regret this. Unwrapping the futon, he spread it out on the floor, working the wrinkles out of it. He finished about two seconds before Aeka walked out of the closet, wearing a gorgeous, partially transparent nightgown. Her gold necklace was barely visible though the clothing, but her assets were VERY apparent. Russ's eyes went wide and he instantly turned several shades of crimson, turning his head away, but peeking at her through the corner of his eye.

"Whoa. Um, that's a very revealing piece of clothing you have there, Aeka," he stammered.

"My mother gave me this before I originally left Jurai. She told me to wear this when I met someone I was attracted to," she said, moving across the floor and coming up behind Russ, gently taking his arm and holding it.

Russ's muscles became considerably stiffer as his nerves started to fray. "It's very nice," he said, still not looking at her.

Giggling quietly to herself, she was pleased with his reaction. "Well, why don't you get into your nightclothes then, too?" she said.

"I just sleep in my underwear," he said. "But I'll sleep in my clothes tonight."

"Why? Afraid to show me something?" she teased.

Russ looked at her, and a second later, looked away, forgetting for an instant that she was wearing something extremely sexually appealing. "You just want to see me with my shirt off, is that it?" he asked, teasing her back.

She walked over to the side of her bed, furthest from the stairs. "That's part of it," she said, folding back the covers, carefully climbing into the ultra soft sheets and very warm comforter.

"Bah," Russ said, tossing back his own blanket and sliding in. "Good night, Aeka. If rumors start blowing around about this, I'm going to kill you," he said, watching her out of the corner of his eye.

"I don't care," she said, laying back against her pillow, feeling right at home once again. "Ahhh, this bed feels so good. It's been so long since I've been in it," she said, wistfully.

Out of sight, Russ smiled and rolled his eyes. "Whatever."

"Dim the lights," she commanded.

"How?" Russ answered, but he didn't need to. The lights in her room grew dark, and then turned off, however, there was still a very soft glow coming from several nightlights from around the room. "Oh."

Giggling quietly to herself, she snuggled into the covers, dozing off very quickly, tired out from the day's activities. Russ, on the other hand, took a little longer due the lack of his fan, but he too, fell asleep. The two Jurai Guardians remained on guard outside of her chamber, doing their silent duty once again.

Morning approached rapidly, but there was no sunlight on this day. The sky was gray and overcast, but it was a little warmer than it had been over the last couple of days. A fog had settled into the valley as the snow began to melt, surrounding the house in a thick cloud. You couldn't see the forest from inside the living room.

However, in contrast to the gloomy weather outside, Nobuyuki woke to one of the most pleasant surprises he had ever had. Achika was curled up next to him, her head on his shoulder, sleeping soundly. Her golden halo was still on top of her head, but it didn't interfere with her posture. Almost forgetting that she had come back for a day, Nobuyuki blinked his eyes, reached out with a trembling hand, and very gently touched Achika's arm, feeling her warmth.

"Good morning, honey," she whispered, letting her eyes open slowly. She had the most gorgeous, perfect smile that Nobuyuki had ever seen, and it warmed his heart to be near her once more.

"Good morning," he whispered back, smiling down into her young face. "You're still as beautiful as the day I met you," he said, holding her close.

"I hope so," she said, grinning. "I came back like this just for that reason."

Soft, gray light filtered in from his window as he looked at his wife, never wanting to let her go, ever again. They laid there for several more minutes in silence, just enjoying each other's company.

"You have to go back today?" Nobuyuki asked, quietly, as it almost looked like Achika had dozed back off.

"Mmmm hmm," she mumbled. "I wish I didn't have to. But it was still wonderful to be able to come back and see you all again in person, though."

"I'm glad you came back too. I missed you so much," he said, hugging her tightly.

Achika smiled. "I missed you too. I missed having you hold me close. I missed having you make me laugh. I missed the warmth of your touch and the smile on your face," she said, looking at him passionately. "You have no idea how much."

"If I could change fate, I would," Nobuyuki said. "I'd conquer the universe if it meant you could stay with me for the rest of my life."

"I know," she said, snuggling against Nobuyuki's chest.

"I wonder if Russ could do anything about it," he said aloud, looking at the ceiling.

Achika shook her head. "No. Unfortunately, he cannot. Not even with the power of the Dragonballs. I've been dead for far too long, and restoring my life now would be impossible."

"Why?"

"The Dragonballs can restore a life, but only if the person died within a year's time. If it goes beyond that, the dragon can't grant that wish."

Nobuyuki sighed calmly. "I guess it was our fate," he quietly said.

"Fate can be a very cruel thing," Achika said, gazing into her husband's face. "I wish it didn't have to be this way, but it was hard enough just for Russ to give me this one day. That, in itself, was a miracle."

"I'm glad he did. I owe him more thanks than I could ever provide," he said, sighing again. "When will he be taking you home?"

"At noon today," she answered. "Why don't we get up and make breakfast for the family, just like we used to?"

Nobuyuki smiled. "I'd like that," he answered.

Throwing back the covers, they slowly got out of bed, and then dressed themselves. After they got into the kitchen, they brought out several pots and pans, and gathered a variety of ingredients. Achika took half the stove and Nobuyuki took the other half, and they began cooking. Every once in a while, they'd bump into each other, smile, and continue what they were doing.

Letting his pan simmer, Nobuyuki went into the dining area and quickly set the table, providing a set of chopsticks for everybody, a napkin, and a teacup. Even though Christmas was over, the living room still looked like a winter wonderland, sparkling a variety of colors and reflecting the dull light off of the decorations. He smiled, and then quietly thanked Heaven for letting his wife return to him, even though it was for only one day. But then, just as silently, he thanked Russ too. Quickly returning to the kitchen, he shook his pan, stirring the vegetables with his cooking chopsticks.

"I hope we have enough stuff to feed everybody," Nobuyuki said, glancing over at his young wife. "Russ is a bottomless pit."

Giggling quietly, Achika nodded her head. "I saw him eat a couple of times, but it is still nothing like seeing it in person. But we should have more than enough for everybody."

After a few moments, Sasami slid open the kitchen door, looking a little sleepy, but very happy and contented. She was smiling, and Ryo-Ohki was perched on top of her head, as usual. "Good morning you two," she greeted. "It smells good."

"Thank you, Sasami," Achika responded, finishing off her stir-fry and letting the contents spill out onto a serving platter. "You're a very good cook too."

"Thanks. May I help?" she asked, stepping over to the refrigerator and withdrawing a box of eggs, milk, cheese, ham, and orange juice.

Nobuyuki grinned. "Sure! I'm just finishing with my side of the stove, so you can use these burners," he said, piling his vegetables next to Achika's, on the same platter.

Taking Nobuyuki's frying pan and wiping the juices out of it with a bunch of paper towels, she set it back on the stove, then withdrew a bowl out of a nearby cupboard. Cracking three eggs into the bowl, she beat them with Nobuyuki's chopsticks, and then she took three pieces of cheese, tearing them up and mixed those into the eggs. She set it aside, and then began dicing up the ham, after which she dumped into the eggs as well.

"What are you making, Sasami?" Achika asked, unfamiliar with the dish she was making.

"It's called an omelet. Russ showed me how to do one a little while after he moved in," she explained, dumping the contents into the frying pan, where it immediately started sizzling. Withdrawing a spatula from one of the drawers, she slid it under the eggs, making sure they didn't get stuck.

Watching her curiously, Achika realized that she was starting to fall behind, so she started to make the Kyoto miso soup, as she knew it was Tenchi's favorite flavor. It was a light, sweet kind, and she liked it too.

The breakfast making frenzy continued for another twenty minutes, until it was ready to be served. The smells from all the food had roused everybody out of their slumber, and everybody trudged downstairs, all of them happy and all of them seemingly satisfied.

Kiyone and Mihoshi had today off as well, and they were going to enjoy themselves. They had gone up into their spaceship yesterday and they confirmed the message from the Galaxy Police Headquarters, and that they were now going to be providing funding for their living expenses. Kiyone was very happy and relieved, but Mihoshi didn't seem to care either way, as long as she could have her sweets.

Smiling at each other like the day they had first met, Tenchi and Ryoko had come downstairs quietly, and took their seat at the table. The engagement ring that was on Ryoko's finger glittered brightly, and she continued to admire it, so very happy that her wish had come true, in more ways than one.

Washu had come out of her lab, still in her adult form. She was wearing an adult sized science academy uniform now, but she still looked very attractive. Even though her son wasn't with her, she still had a bright smile and a happy aura about her, since her son did call her earlier in the morning. That was all she needed to brighten her day.

After the group had sat down at the table, Katsuhito, Aeka, and Russ all walked in at once, all of them satisfied and happy. Aeka took her usual seat, but Achika was in Russ's, but he didn't mind. Taking a plate and filling it with food, he sat on the floor a little distance away, eating much slower than he normally did, not wanting to get back up so quickly. He hated reaching over anybody. Aeka put up a brief argument, but didn't pursue it for very long.

Breakfast passed by fairly quickly, as most people were unable to finish all the food. But before they began to clean it up, Russ sat down in his seat, kicking himself into overdrive, consuming every morsel of food that was left. Achika looked at him, a small sweatdrop on the side of her head, but she smiled and laughed quietly once he let out a large belch, which Russ did his best to conceal.

"Yum. Good stuff," he said, standing up, and then heading back outside. Aeka followed him a few moments later.

Smiling in complete pleasure, Achika remained sitting at the table, next to Nobuyuki.

"It feels like everybody here is a part of my family," she said, quietly.

"They're all a part of the family now. They help fill the loneliness that I have when I think about you when you're gone," Nobuyuki responded, keeping his voice low.

Achika sighed. "Well, I have about two hours left to stay. What would you like to do until then?"

Quietly debating with himself, thinking of several different things that they could possibly do, he failed to come up with anything.

Sliding over to her husband, Achika whispered into his ear. "We could watch some of your porn," she said, causing him to turn several shades of red. She giggled, and then started laughing. "I'm kidding."

He smiled in response, and put his arm around her. "If you don't mind, I'd just like to sit here for a little longer."

"That's fine with me," she responded quietly, watching Sasami and Ryo-Ohki play a fighting game on her Playstation. "That's perfectly fine with me."

Setting his gravity machine back to two thousand times Earth's normal gravity, Russ began his warm-up exercises, stretching his legs, back, and his arms. After doing that for several moments, he felt good enough to begin training. The fog had lifted, but the sun was still behind all the clouds, unable to break through.

"Would you mind if I trained with you today, Russ? I'd like to practice sparring against you, this time," she said, stretching and performing her own warm-up routine.

Grinning to himself, Russ decided to tease her. "Oh, so since you learned the blur technique, you think you're good enough to train on my level now, is that it?" he said.

"Nope. I just want to spar against you, that's all. I've got a few surprises up my sleeve," she said, stretching her arms over her head. "Besides, I need to work off this breakfast."

Russ shook his head, but smiled. "Okay, but I'm not going to go all that easy on you," he taunted, standing on his hands, pushing himself into the air several times.

"That's fine with me," she responded, tilting from side to side, groaning quietly.

After a few more minutes of warm-up, Russ and Aeka faced each other at the lake edge.

"How about we make a little bet?" Aeka invited, smiling mischievously.

"I'm open to suggestions."

Aeka smiled. "If I can land a punch or a kick anywhere on you, you have to agree to make me breakfast for the next week," she said, putting her fists out in front of her.

"And if you don't do it in a time span of one minute, you… uh… Well, I can't have you making anything in the kitchen. I'm not interested in being poisoned," he teased, seeing Aeka's cheeks grow a little red.

"Why you little…" she yelled, charging him, her fist outstretched, aimed directly for his face.

Russ nodded his head to the side, smiling at her, letting her fists sail past harmlessly. "Missed me!" he taunted, making the princess more irritated. She began a frenzy of punches and kicks, but Russ placed his hands in front of each blow, blocking them effortlessly, smiling widely. He didn't move from his position, but Aeka rotated around him, trying to land a blow on his back, his head, his chest, or anywhere else that she thought was venerable. After a moment, he caught one of her fists in his hand, spun around a few times, tossing her into the air.

"That's not fair!" she shouted, throwing a green ki ball at Russ, who swatted it back into the sky, where it fizzled out. She charged him again, trying to land a punch or a kick somewhere, but Russ's hands were just too fast. They appeared everywhere she tried to hit, and she only had about thirty seconds remaining. Even though Russ never actually moved from where he was standing, he was still impossible to hit. Using the zanzoken technique for the second time, she blurred behind Russ and swung her leg at his head, but again he blocked it, turned around to face her, a big grin on his face.

"Not bad, but too slow," he said, throwing her into the air again.

Only having five seconds remaining, she zanzokened behind him again, but instead of trying to punch or kick him, she grabbed Russ's arm, swung herself in front of him, and then drove her fist directly into Russ's face, knocking him off of his feet, causing him to skid about twenty five feet from where he was. She landed on the ground, stunned at what had just happened.

"Oww," Russ groaned, getting up. His coat and pants were soaked from the melting snow, but he quickly powered up, drying his clothes, and then returned to normal.

"You did that on purpose!" Aeka shouted, storming up to him.

"Maybe I did, maybe I didn't. Tough to tell, isn't it?" Russ snickered, a red mark on his cheek from her impact. "But it isn't a total loss. I don't have to eat raw sewage and I get to cook for a week. I think it's a nice tradeoff, don't you?" he said, watching her grow super red.

"I CAN COOK!" she screamed, driving her fist into Russ's face again at such a high rate of speed that it sent him flying into the side of the mountain where he impacted, creating a small crater. Her eyes went wide when she saw the debris go up from where he crash-landed. "Oh my god! I'm so sorry!" she yelled, quickly flying over to him.

For the second time today, Russ picked himself up off of the ground. "You've gotten a lot stronger and faster. I'll have to remember that for our next sparring match," he said, smiling, relaxing in his crater. "But now, I need a bath."

Aeka continued to apologize over and over, still stunned at what she did.

On the inside of the house, Sasami, Nobuyuki, and Achika all laughed, looking at the twosome outside enjoy themselves.

Noontime came all too quickly for the family. Russ was sitting at the organ bench, playing a few tunes to himself through the headphones as the family said their goodbyes to Achika.

The happy mood that existed throughout the household seemed to be on the verge of leaving with Achika's imminent departure, but everybody did their best to hide it. The entire family was seated in the living room, ready to say goodbye for the last time. They all knew that they'd never see her again in this lifetime, but the time that she had spent with the family was time that would always, always be cherished. Nobuyuki had taken several group photographs of everybody, including Russ, for safekeeping in his photo album that he kept solely of Achika. He decided it was time to add a little more to that book.

Achika stood up, as the clock had read eleven fifty five a.m. "I'm so happy that I was able to come back and see everybody. It is a new memory that I will take with me for all eternity," she said, trying to keep from crying, but failing. Several tears trickled out of the corner of her eyes and she brushed them away, but they were quickly replaced.

Nobuyuki stepped up to her first, hugging her for the last time. "Take care of yourself, my love," he said, squeezing her. "I will miss you and will think of you every day."

"I know," she said. "I'll be watching you."

Smiling, brushing away his own tears, he stepped aside, allowing Katsuhito to step up.

"It was wonderful to have you spend the time you did with all of us. You will be missed," he said, hugging his daughter. "Please take care of yourself."

"I'll miss you too, dad," she said, sniffling.

"Mom?" Tenchi said, standing to her left.

"Yes, son?" she responded, turning toward him, noticing that he too, was crying.

"I'll miss you. Thank you for coming to visit us for a day. You have no idea how much that meant to me, dad, and grandpa," he said, holding his mother close.

"I know, Tenchi. I know. I'm happy that I was able to come here as well. It has given me an opportunity to actually say goodbye to everyone, and I can't thank Russ enough for that," she said, looking at the saiyan, who was now quietly sitting on the bench, watching the farewells. "I'll be watching over you. All of you," she said, looking around the room at the tear filled, smiling faces.

"Goodbye, Lady Achika," Aeka said, bowing respectfully.

"See you around," Ryoko included, folding her arms behind her, smiling, as Tenchi moved to stand next to her.

Sasami ran up and threw her little arms around Achika's waist, smiling up at her, despite the tears streaming down her cheeks. "I'll miss you," she said, hugging her. Ryo-Ohki also meowed at her from atop Sasami's head.

"I'll miss you too, Sasami and Ryo-Ohki," she said, sniffling again.

Mihoshi waved her hand, smiling happily. She was the only one in the room who wasn't saddened by her departure, but instead, looked on it with happiness. "Bye bye! Eat all the sweets you can while you're there in Heaven!" she said, causing Kiyone to hang her head in shame.

Achika giggled and nodded her head. "I will, Mihoshi."

"Take care of yourself, Lady Achika," Kiyone said, bowing out of respect.

"Thank you for coming, Achika," Washu said, also bowing politely.

Smiling at both of them, Achika nodded her head.

Russ stood up from his seat on the bench and slowly approached her from the side. "Are you now ready, Achika?" he asked quietly, as the clock and now read noon.

Taking a deep breath through her mouth, she let it out in a huge sigh. "Goodbyes are never easy," she said, looking into his eyes.

"I know," he answered, extending his hand.

Turning toward the group one last time, she tried to smile, sniffling once more. "Goodbye, everyone. Take care of yourselves, and always know that I'll be watching over you," she said, placing her hand gently in Russ's.

A chorus of sobs and goodbyes quietly burst from the group as Russ placed his two fingers to his forehead. Feeling a sense of sadness himself, he shook it off as he initiated his special ability, and the two of them vanished from sight.

"I still want to thank you, Russ, for going through all the trouble you did to take me back home," Achika said, standing at the entrance to the Earth's check-in station. "There is no way me or the family could ever repay this debt of gratitude.

Russ smiled and shook his head, gently brushing away her tears with his hand. "It's okay. Doing this for people like them and you is what makes me happy, and that is more than enough for me," he said.

Wrapping her arms around Russ, she hugged him tightly, burying her face in his green karate gi, quietly sobbing. He held her close until she was finished, gently rubbing her back and doing his best to soothe her.

"Well," Russ said, looking at the checkpoint. "I guess it is time for you to rejoin the others. They're waiting for you in Heaven, you know."

"I know, but it still doesn't make it any easier," she said, sniffling.

"You can still see your family anytime you want as well."

"But I can't participate in it. I wish I could."

Russ continued to hold her, letting out a heavy sigh. "If I could do something about it, I would. But even the gods cannot do certain things. They have to obey fate, or the universe would come apart," he explained.

"I guess you're right," she said. "You take care of my family now, you hear?"

"Yes, ma'am," he answered, releasing her, smiling down into her brown eyes.

Taking several steps away from him, she then turned toward the check-in station, slowly heading back home. But before she got too far, she turned back toward Russ.

"Just so you know, Zorpheus is on his way."

Russ nodded his head. "Yes, I felt it. He's coming to Earth to wish for immortality from the Dragonballs, but he's got a nasty little surprise if he tries to do it."

"Yeah. I guess so."

"Take care of yourself, Achika. It was an honor and a pleasure to meet you," he said, smiling at her, hoping to alleviate some of the sadness she had.

"Likewise, Russ. But just so you know, Zorpheus will arrive on June twelfth. You will have to be prepared to face him by then."

Russ's eyes widened at her revelation. "I will not fail. Your family is in good hands," he announced, thumping his chest.

"The best hands," she answered, turning and running to the building.

Watching her go inside, Russ sighed once again. "Only six more months to go," he said. "I hope everything will be ready by then."

Placing two fingers to his forehead, Russ took one last look at the check-in station. "Bye, Achika. I'll protect your family, or die trying," he said, disappearing from the spirit realm for the last time.


	16. Violent Heart

Ep 16 – Violent Heart

This is it! The Final Battle will take place in this chapter. Beware, there will be colorful language, a lot of violence with involved descriptions, and the rating on this chapter will be somewhere around PG13. I hope you enjoy it, as there will only be 1 or 2 chapters after this, and this story will be concluded. Tenchi Muyo and Dragonball Z are copyrighted via Pioneer and Funimation respectively. If you like (or even hate) the story, feel free to send me fanmail at . I absolutely love getting mail having to do with the fic, and it continually motivates me to do more. Anyway, enjoy the battle! Oh, and a very special thanks to the REAL Zorpheus for role-playing his dialog. I couldn't have done it without ya!

Feel free to come visit my website .net or .net:81. It's a massive Tenchi website consisting of MP3s, video clips, over 19,000 screenshots, character descriptions, and much more, including additional fanfics by other authors.

"Aeka? What is wrong with Russ?"

Sasami, the little blue haired princess, was sitting quietly on the porch looking out toward the lake, watching the ripples on the water. It was already late in the day, but the weather was very pleasant. A stiff breeze came from the west, moving the eighty-degree air around swiftly, causing her long ponytails to flap lazily in the wind. Reaching up to move one of her bangs out of her face, she swept it behind her ear and sighed softly, feeling at peace with the world around her. Looking absolutely beautiful and more mature since last year, she turned her eyes away from the lake and toward her sister, who was sitting next to her.

It had been almost exactly one year since Russ had arrived at the Masaki home, and it had been one hell of a ride for everybody. He was so much fun to be around and so easy going that she felt that he was her big brother, who always looked out for her and always was there for her, no matter what. On a few occasions, she felt down, sad, and lonely, but Russ would stop whatever it was he was doing and wouldn't leave her alone until she smiled and felt herself again. He cared for her like no other, and almost surpassed the attention and care she received from her mother.

Surprisingly, he was an excellent teacher as well. Whenever she had a question and Washu wasn't available, he would help her with it and assist her in finding a correct answer, whether it was with cooking or trying to fix something that broke. He was easy to understand and had simple explanations for even really complex problems. On many occasions, she would sit with him on the organ bench and watch him play for hours, and several times she commented that she wished she could play as well as him. Russ smiled, and began to teach her some very basic songs on the organ, showing her how to keep time, how to create the instruments and rhythms along with various other things, including reading the sheet music. On multiple occasions, they played duets together on the organ. She would sit on Russ's lap and he'd play two of the keyboards, and she'd play on the third. They'd sing together, and the entire family would congregate in the living room to listen, and on occasion, join in with the two. It was a blast to have him around, and he was the most fun person she had ever known.

But lately, somewhere around for the last week or so, Russ seemed to be more withdrawn and reclusive than he had been in the past. He'd disappear for hours on end without a trace, and when he'd come home, it would be very late at night and he really didn't have much to say. He'd head up to his room without visiting with the family and not play the organ anymore. Everybody had begun to take notice and start worrying, but he never told anybody what the problem was.

At present moment, he was sitting up in his tree, being very silent and withdrawn. He almost looked like he was asleep, but his eyes were open and very distant. His hair moved in swirls with the wind and his clothes flapped with the gusts. Even though he looked at peace, she knew he was very worried and concerned about something. She felt that it had to do with Zorpheus's impending arrival, but she didn't know exactly when he'd come. Trying not to let it bother her, she debated that it could've been something else, but it still worried her, and was looking for some reassurance.

"I don't know, Sasami. It's the first time I've seen him like this," the first crown princess of Jurai responded, resting back on her hands, letting her summer clothes flutter with a gust of wind. It had been a while since she wore her kimonos, and had since then switched to Earth clothing. She was currently wearing a comfortable short sleeve t-shirt with a logo of the three saber marionettes on the front and a pair of jeans shorts. Her long, purple hair was bound behind her back in one long ponytail, tied at the end with a small blue ribbon. She had a set of three bangle bracelets on her left wrist made from polished marble stone, colored blue and black, and a dragon armband that went around the top of her bicep, the same one she wore with her training gi, which was a gift from Russ.

She too had gotten more ladylike and adult, as her figure had filled out a little more, just as she hoped. Since training with Russ, she became more defined as well. Small muscles showed themselves in her arms and legs, and she looked positively stunning. Remarkably, she still maintained her gorgeous, soft, alabaster skin, and she had tanned slightly as well, and she felt more confident in her appearance because of it.

Breathing deep, taking in the scent of freshly mowed grass and the smell of clean, pure air from the surrounding forest, she too felt at peace with the world, and it helped her let all of her cares go away for the time being. That is, all except for one. She too had noticed Russ's reclusiveness and was wondering why his behavior had become the way it was. Unfortunately, he was too stubborn to tell the family what the problem actually was or why he was worried, and it drove her crazy. He kept way too many secrets to himself and was very bad at hiding them too.

Nevertheless, the past year that he had spent with the family was nothing short of breathtaking and wonderful. He was so amazing and fun to be around that she had gotten to the point where she couldn't stand it when he was apart from her. She knew that she was obsessed with him, but far more with him than she ever was with Tenchi.

Looking back on her lost love, she became more and more skeptical over the way she used to be with him. Tenchi was stiff, inflexible, and really not much fun to be around. He always pushed both her and Ryoko away at the time, and refused to do anything with either of them. Even now, as she looked at Tenchi and Ryoko's relationship, she didn't see that much of a change in him. True, he did show more affection, but he really didn't DO much with Ryoko. He was always home, training, going to school, or doing other things besides enjoying life with his sweetheart. The only time he really spent with her was at night, when they'd both go to bed. True, they did spend some time together when Tenchi was doing his other activities, but only because Ryoko basically followed him around like a little puppy dog. She'd always ask to go do things, but he continually turned her down, saying that he had other things that he needed to take care of. For the most part, Ryoko just contented herself to be near him, as her love for him was absolute and unwavering. Ryoko began to understand the way things worked on Earth, and she accepted it easily enough. She would do anything for Tenchi. On multiple occasions, she trained with him in much the same way she trained with Russ, but Tenchi wasn't really that much of a match for her, and it didn't satisfy her to go up against him. There was more than one occasion when Tenchi was at school and Ryoko was feeling very bored and lonely, that she invited herself out to train with Russ. Both Ryoko and herself would go up against the super saiyan and have a great time, especially with Russ's easygoing sense of humor. Russ loved fighting against both Ryoko and her, and it made her feel good that he was so accepting to the both of them.

Aeka wondered how she would've found Tenchi if he chose her over Ryoko. Would he have been the same way, or would he have done even less with her? The only reason Tenchi really did anything with Ryoko was because of her pleading. Since she wasn't like Ryoko and didn't really pressure anything onto anybody, they probably wouldn't have done much of anything at all. She knew that she wouldn't have been satisfied with that, but because he was willing to sacrifice himself for anybody, she would've dealt with it. He was far too honorable and heroic to just turn away, but how long would that have been enough?

She shook her head, reorienting her thoughts back to Russ. Now there was a man who would do anything for anybody, just to make them happy. Many occasions, she saw how Sasami and him would do things together and how it made her sister feel. Because of it, she felt at peace and very contented to be around him, as he was the same way with her. He didn't hold back much and would flirt with her on occasion, teasing her about her appearance or making fun of himself, but all in good humor. He almost never got mad or angry, but if he did, he'd go outside and work it off, rather than take it out on anybody. Since the Startica festival, he never yelled or got mad at anybody, no matter what happened. He'd calmly explain to her that he was upset over what was done, and then he'd go outside to blow off his steam. Knowing that, she'd go out and apologize to him, even if it wasn't her fault, just to see him smile and make him feel more comfortable.

Looking at him sitting on his limb, she knew that he felt more at ease around her since she had stopped chasing him. Remembering her conversation with her mother, her advice seemed to be working. He didn't run away from her ever since Christmas Day, and he was even more open with her than he ever used to be. He told her about several secrets that he kept buried and rarely talked about, like his parents' death and his lack of family. After finally cracking open his safe of secrets, he finally revealed to her that he was lonely and had missed Laurie deeply, and that he still wasn't over her, even after so many years. Whenever he'd get on that subject, she'd listen quietly and comfort him, and she felt so close to him that it almost didn't matter that they weren't an actual couple. She could feel that it was only a matter of time before he'd open himself up once again and accept the love of another, but she hoped it would be soon.

"He hasn't come out of that tree since he got up there this morning," Sasami said quietly, sharing the tranquility with her sister. "I know he's troubled by something, but I don't know what."

Aeka nodded her head. "Yeah, and it is making me worried too. He's been meditating for a long time, but I don't have the slightest idea what could be running through his mind."

"What if we invite him to do karaoke or something?" she asked, stroking Ryo-Ohki, who was sleeping soundly on her lap, purring quietly.

Sighing again, she shook her head. "I don't think he'd want to. He has a lot of things to sort through and think about right now, and I think the best thing we can do for him is to leave him alone. He's been a lot of fun and he has done far more for us than anybody has ever done, never asking for anything in return, and I think the least we can do is leave him alone for now."

Sasami's face became downcast as she looked at Ryo-Ohki, still gently stroking her soft fur. "I know, but I miss having him play with me."

Turning toward her, Aeka nodded her head. "Me too."

"Where are Tenchi and Ryoko?" Sasami asked, changing the subject. "I haven't really seen them much today. What have they been doing?"

Her face becoming thoughtful, she shrugged her shoulders. "I don't know. I think they're out weeding the carrot patch or out by the shrine."

Upon hearing the word carrot, Ryo-Ohki woke up out of her quiet doze and looked up at Aeka, questioning her with a meow.

Aeka smiled and patted her on the head. "Do you know where Ryoko is, Ryo-Ohki?"

The cabbit closed its eyes for a moment, and then meowed once, lifting her paw to point to the training ground.

Giggling quietly, Sasami patted the little animal and stroked her back. "So they're training together," she mumbled quietly, looking off toward the area near the top of the mountain where Tenchi regularly sparred with is grandfather. It was too high up to really see anything, as the trees were very full and thick with leaves, and the wind was brisk enough to muffle any sounds that would've come from a confrontation up there. Her eyes wandered back to Russ, who still hadn't moved from his seat in the tree. She smiled and started giggling.

"What's so funny, Sasami?" Aeka asked, looking over at her sister.

"I was just thinking about how that tree supports him. He has gotten far heavier since he first arrived. Wasn't he like around two hundred twenty two pounds originally, and the last time he told me his weight, he said he was around two hundred ninety pounds. I'm surprised that branch hasn't cracked and made him crash to the ground."

Smiling contentedly, she nodded her head. "He looks so peaceful up in that tree. It's so crazy that he's so strong and powerful and it's even more amazing how gentle he usually is."

Looking at her sister, Sasami started laughing again. "MOST of the time. Do you realize that he's crushed more than ten playstation controllers?"

Aeka started laughing along with her sister. "That's because he can't stand losing to you."

"It's always fun how he tackles me after I beat him. He's so much fun to be around, and I hope he stays here forever with us. I'd be so upset if he ever left."

Both princesses fell silent, considering the possibility that after his mission was complete, what his next move would be. Would he leave, or would he remain here? They didn't know, but they both strongly wanted him to stay… more than anything, really. He was the greatest thing that ever happened to both of them, and they both didn't want to give him up. Ever. They were both to the point of even telling all of their parents to kiss off if it meant staying with him. However, Russ didn't know how deep their feelings for him had gone.

"We shouldn't worry about that, Sasami. I think he wants to stay with us as well. We're the best company he's had in a very long time, and I don't think he'd be very quick to give it up. He's stubborn like that, you know," Aeka said, smiling.

"Yeah, you're right. But anyway," she said, gently moving Ryo-Ohki off of her lap and standing up, lazily stretching her arms over her head. "I'm going to go get Russ a glass of lemonade. I'm sure he's thirsty and probably hungry too. He never came in to eat today at all."

Aeka stood up too, mimicking her sister with her stretching, causing her bracelets to slide down her arm, tinkling up against each other. "I'll make him a sandwich for you to take to him as well. I hope he tells us why he's so concerned."

"I think he will today. But we'll have to wait and see," Sasami said, sliding back the door and stepping into the house, which was uncomfortably warm. "Whew, it's hot in here."

"Yeah. But it isn't as bad as it was last year. Remember those hundred-degree days we had? That was unbearable."

Sasami and Aeka both made their way to the kitchen, passing through the living room. Nobuyuki was seated on the couch, silently reading his newspaper. He didn't look up from the two who intruded into the living room, but kept reading, as whatever was in the paper had kept his attention for quite a while already.

Reaching the kitchen, Sasami went to the refrigerator to get the lemonade, and Aeka went into the pantry closet to get the jar of peanut butter, and afterwards, went to the fridge to get the butter and jam.

Aeka looked at the ingredients and smiled. "This stuff is so simple but he loves it. I've never seen someone eat as much peanut butter as him."

Nodding in agreement, Sasami reached into the cupboard and produced a tall glass. She went back to the fridge to get a tray of ice while Aeka took a small plate from an adjacent cupboard and set about making a sandwich.

Grunting while twisting the ice tray from side to side, two ice cubes came flying out of the tray once they broke free and landed on the floor. Sasami reached down and picked up the two rogue cubes and tossed them into the sink, then filled the glass to the top with all the ice cubes she could fit into it.

After buttering four slices of wheat bread, Aeka then spread the peanut butter on two of the pieces, very thickly, and after cleaning off the butter knife, she dumped a decent amount of strawberry jam onto the peanut butter, and then put the other piece of bread on the top. Afterwards, she sliced both sandwiches in half, and placed them all on the plate. Sasami poured the lemonade over the ice in the glass, causing the ice to crack and pop from the drastic temperature change.

"Here you go, Sasami," Aeka said, handing over the plate. "Even though this is only a light snack to him, it should make him a little happier."

"Mmmm, yes. Why not come out with me?" she questioned, looking out the window and then at her sister.

"Even though I don't pry anymore, he'd probably feel uneasy with me going out there like that. He'd expect it from you and me, but he'd probably feel more comfortable talking about it with you."

"Don't be silly, Aeka. It doesn't matter who it comes from, does it?"

Aeka thought a moment. "Maybe not, but anyway, don't you dare tell him I made the sandwiches, okay? He still thinks that everything I make is toxic, and I don't want to scare him away with my food."

Sasami giggled quietly and nodded her head. "I'll tell him after he finishes it."

"Okay. I'm going to go water my garden now. It's been a couple days since it has rained and the plants could use a nice drink," she said, heading toward the back door, putting on a pair of gardening gloves she kept on a shelf that was on her way out. The door clicked shut after she walked though it.

Sasami went back through the living room, glancing at Nobuyuki who was still reading his paper, and she went outside, being careful to close the door behind her. Lifting off into the air, she slowly flew over to Russ's tree and came up behind him.

"Hey, Sasami. What's going on?" he asked, without even seeing her.

"I love how you do that," she said, coming around the tree. "I brought you some food since you missed dinner, and a cold lemonade."

Russ smiled at her and nodded his head. "Thank you very much. That was very thoughtful of you," he said, as he began to devour the sandwiches. He stole a few drinks from the lemonade in between bites.

"You should thank Aeka too, since she was the one who made the sandwiches."

Russ stopped chewing for a moment, giving Sasami a worried look, but he smiled and continued eating a moment later. After swallowing a large chunk, he let out a small burp. "Not bad. You sure your sister made these? They don't taste funny or anything," he teased, watching Sasami's face become cross. "I'm only kidding."

Smiling now, Sasami sat down on a nearby branch, watching Russ eat at a normal, human pace. "You've been up here for quite a few days now, and you haven't been very social either. Is something bothering you?"

"Am I that transparent?" he asked, after swallowing another bite. "Yes, something is bothering me and has me worried, but I don't want to worry you guys about it."

"Could you at least tell me what is wrong?" she asked, swinging her legs back and forth.

Shoving another chunk of PP&J into his mouth, he took his time eating it and swallowed, then washed it down with more lemonade. Sighing to himself, he looked over at her, and nodded his head. "I think you already know what I'm worried about, but it's about Zorpheus. I meditate for a long time to mentally prepare myself for battle. I'm worried about what he might do, but I'm excited about the prospect of combat again."

"You're excited?" she questioned, surprised at his revelation.

Russ nodded. "Yes. Saiyans are a warrior race, as I've told you before. We were born to do battle and to fight. It's one thing that gives us a tremendous amount of joy and satisfaction," he explained, taking a quick sip of his drink again. "But lately, I've found joy in something else, but the idea of fighting again is very exciting to me. I don't expect you to understand since it isn't your nature or how you were brought up, but that is the way it is with me and even Zorpheus."

Nodding her head, she smiled. "What is that other thing you find joy in?"

Russ was about to take another bite out of his sandwich but froze in surprise instead. His face began to turn red, and Sasami could see a few beads of sweat appear on his forehead. Tilting her head to the side, she smiled, then started giggling, getting a pretty good idea of what was going through his mind.

"It wouldn't happen to have to do with my sister now, would it?" she teased.

His face growing redder by the minute, he swallowed his bite in a deliberately loud gulp and filled his mouth with lemonade again, draining over half the remaining liquid. "If I tell you the truth, will you keep it a secret?"

She nodded her head and smiled, kicking her feet back and forth. "Yes."

If Russ's face could've gone any redder, it would have. "Yes, it has to do with your sister."

"You like her?"

Russ paused, then let out a huge breath. "Yes. Yes I do."

Sasami's face lit up as bright as the sun. "I knew it! I knew it!" she sang, giggling the whole while. "You've got a big crush on her."

"Cut that out!" Russ pleaded, looking away shyly. "Don't tease me about that."

Sasami continued to smile widely as she looked at Russ's far off grin. "Then how come you won't go out with her or go steady?"

The grin on Russ's face melted away and became downcast. "I can't."

"But, why not? You're both single, you're both free, and you're definitely both attracted to each other, so why not?" Sasami asked, looking concerned.

"It's a long story." Russ shoved the last of the sandwich into his mouth and swallowed it, then washed it down with more lemonade.

"Could you give me the short version?" she asked, sliding a little closer to Russ.

Sighing quietly, Russ turned toward her again, looking on her with lonely eyes. "Only Aeka knows about it right now, but I almost had a girlfriend a few years ago. We were good friends for over a year, in much the same way it is between your sister and myself. But something happened and she was killed, ironically, one day after we agreed to go steady. I tried to help her, but I was outnumbered and she died. I never want to feel that kind of pain again, so I distanced myself from all women, never allowing myself to become attracted to another. However, your sister is similar to my former girlfriend, but I don't want anything to happen to her, so I won't become involved with her. I'm too dangerous to be around."

"That's not true! You've lived with us for almost a year now and every problem that has ever arisen, you've conquered easily. You overcame Kain, my parents, and any other obstacle. Why can't you date with my sister and make her the happiest person alive? She really wants to be with you for the rest of her life, and I want to see her with you too. You're my big brother and I don't want to see you go."

Feeling a growing lump in his throat, Russ shook his head. "I know how it feels. You guys became attached to me, but when the time comes, I may have to leave. I originally only came back here to do what I did with the Dragonballs, and face Zorpheus. Once that was done, I was going to leave."

"NO!!!" she shouted, looking like someone jammed a knife in her back. "You can't!"

Russ looked at her, feeling a great many emotions boiling in his gut and in his mind. "I didn't say I was definitely going to leave, but that was a part of my original plan. Plans change and people change. I kind of felt that you and your sister wouldn't want me to go, since I thought that I've been a good friend to you guys. I did my best to make you and your sister happy and carefree, but I didn't want to become involved in any kind of relationship when I saw her. She was very emotional and unhappy when I first met her, and I felt sorry for her, so I befriended her and you. But I swore to myself that I wouldn't become attracted to her or ask her out. All I wanted was friendship, but your sister wants more, but I can't give it to her, and it hurts to tell her no."

"Then stop telling her no!" she cried, crushing the branch in her hands. "You can go out with her if you want to. Even my mother wants to see her become involved with you! That's extremely rare, and it's even more rare when she fights with father over it."

"I know, Sasami. That's the other thing I've been thinking about since I've been up here," he said, finishing off the last of the lemonade and letting out a small burp. "Everybody is all for it, but all of you fail to realize what it could mean to your safety. It is true that I'm very, very strong, but there are still others out there that are stronger. Strong people who are warriors tend to attract trouble wherever they go. Trouble is already on its way here in the form of Zorpheus, and I don't want you people having anything to do with it. I'd go insane if any of you got hurt."

"But that's our choice!" she argued. "It's up to us if we want to stand by your side."

Russ smiled. "But that's what I want to avoid. You may want to help, but you'd be a liability. I can't have that while I'm in a fight. Someone could threaten to harm you or hold you hostage, and that person would be able to force me to do whatever he or she wanted, because they know I couldn't let anything happen to you. I know you guys are strong, but you people can't defend yourselves up against villains that I fight with," he calmly explained. "I know it sounds like a lame excuse, but it is for your own good and mine as well."

Sasami shook her head, becoming more worried by the minute. "We don't care about that! We…"

"I know you don't care," Russ interrupted. "But I do. I will not let you guys come into harms way, and the only way I can figure on doing that is to not be a part of your family. It sounds very weird and selfish, but I know that's the way it has to be."

Again, the princess shook her head. "No, no, no! Please, Russ, you have to…"

"Enough," he interrupted again. "I'm very sorry to disappoint you, Sasami, but I cannot, and I'm inflexible about it. Right now, I have some very important things to worry about. I've developed a new technique and I've been working on a way to make it work right. I've just about got it figured out, and just in time too. Zorpheus arrives tomorrow."

Stopping herself and looking horrorstruck, her pink eyes bored into Russ's. "What?"

Nodding his head and rubbing his temples with his free hand, he said what she feared the most. "Yes, he will be here tomorrow."

She fell deathly silent and her face spilled over with worry. "What's going to happen?"

"I don't know. I plan on getting him into that special room and having us beat the living hell out of each other, but I don't know what frame of mind he'll be in tomorrow. Usually, he'll listen to me calmly, but he may still get upset over my destroying his dream of immorality. Playing with immortality is something I don't do nor let anybody else screw with. In my opinion, it is the root of all evil. It can turn good people bad, like it did with Zorpheus. He really didn't become bad or evil in the villainous sense, but he became very obsessive and we went our separate ways," he described, remembering how pissed off he felt at what Zorpheus was becoming. "But anyway, once we get in that room, everything should be fine. Before he became obsessed with immortality, he was a great friend. He had a sarcastic sense of humor about him, but he was very funny. He was a little more dare devilish than me, and loved drawing attention to himself. Being a nutcase and having a good time were some of the best qualities about him. I do miss him, but I'm very nervous about seeing him again tomorrow."

"I hope he doesn't do anything drastic. Are you two really going to fight?"

"Not very likely, but possible. If all goes well, he'll just give up on it. For the most part, he was pretty easy going and wouldn't mind if something went belly up. He'd just laugh it off and come up with a new obsession. But no obsession ever went as deep as this one. If we do fight, one of us may even die if it gets too out of hand," he said, watching Sasami's face go from horrified to absolute terror.

"NO!!! You can't lose! You CAN'T die! What will we do if you die? We'll never see you again!" she cried, sniffling, letting the tears drip out of the corners of her pink eyes and run down her freckled cheeks, to drip off of the bottom of her chin to the ground below. "I won't let you!" She leapt off her branch and flew at Russ, burying her face in Russ's purple karate ki, her body wracked with sobs. She continually repeated to herself, "Don't die!"

Russ held her tightly. "I won't die, Sasami. Just hope for the best, okay? But once we go into that room, I want you guys to stay out of it until it is over. If Zorpheus tries to start something out here tomorrow, run as far away from here as you can. I won't have you hurt over something that is my fault."

"No! I won't! I want to stay with you!" she cried, hugging him more tightly.

Russ slowly closed his eyes, and then reopened them, breathing a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Sasami. It makes me feel really good to hear you say that. Even though you're faced with impossible odds, you still want to be with me, and I know your sister would be as well, but I can't have you with me. It's too dangerous. I know you don't understand that, but I cannot have you with me tomorrow. It is something that I have to do alone. I'm the only one who can."

Russ wasn't sure if Sasami heard him or not, but she remained like that for a long time afterward. After she finally stopped crying, she rested her head against Russ's shoulder and dozed off, worn out from the day's activities and the worry that Russ had put her through. He felt bad about doing it, but he decided it was better to be truthful rather than let her see a bunch of surprises tomorrow. 'Knowing what to expect was better than being surprised in circumstances like this one,' he always said.

Continuing to hold her close, despite the very warm air, he felt very comfortable, secure, and happy having her with him. It felt good to have another close to him, and he did feel that she was his little sister and it was his job to protect her. He made a silent vow to himself, swearing that he'd vanquish his enemy, and if all went well, he would ask Aeka to go steady with him. It was about time to move on, and even though he just finished telling Sasami that he'd never do it, he did feel very good when he was around both Aeka and Sasami, and he wanted that feeling for the rest of his life. They were the ones to do it for him, and he felt good about it.

"What am I thinking?" he suddenly said to himself, aloud, changing his mind again in a heartbeat. "I must be insane." He looked down at the sleeping princess, smiled, and shook his head. "I can't do it. Yes, Sasami, I'd be willing to spend the rest of my life with you and your sister, but I can't, even though you two are the most perfect things to happen in my life. I'd love to have fun with you every day, and I will, but only as your friend."

Closing his own eyes, he too drifted into a half sleep, keeping himself and Sasami balanced on the branch, wasting the passage of time.

"Russ?" Sasami whispered, snuggling a little closer to the saiyan, after about a half hour of sleep.

He glanced down at her peaceful form and smiled. "What is it, Sasami?" he asked quietly.

"Promise me you won't die tomorrow," she whimpered, looking into Russ's visage. "Promise me that you'll survive."

Reaching up and rubbing her arm gently, he nodded his head. "I promise."

Letting out a sigh of relief, she smiled and hugged Russ, feeling very safe and secure next to him. "Thank you."

"You're welcome," he whispered.

"Come on, Tenchi! I thought you improved since fighting with Russ!" Ryoko taunted, rapidly punching and kicking toward her fiancée. Most of her offense was being blocked and dodged, but a few punches and kicks found their way through his defenses.

Growling quietly to himself, Tenchi continued to block her vicious offense, doing his best to stand his ground. "I have gotten better, and you know I'm holding back right now. If I used the lighthawk wings, you wouldn't stand a chance!" he yelled back, flipping backwards. He landed on his feet and sprinted forward, leapt into the air, and tried to behead the space pirate. However, he missed as she ducked under it. Landing on his feet, he put up his defensive stance and waited for her next move.

"I still think you're a pushover, Tenchi," she teased, baring her fangs in an evil grin. "Show me how much of a MAN you've become!" Racing forward, she held her wooden bokken high but swung it at Tenchi's ribcage. Wood met wood as his own bokken blocked her shot, causing a loud crack to echo around the trees and surrounding area.

"Don't just stand there, boy! Attack her!" Katsuhito ordered, who was watching the event unfold before him. He had been watching them for the past hour or so, and he could see a vast improvement in Tenchi's abilities since he started using his energy. But even though his body was ready for the next step, his mind wasn't fast enough.

"I'm doing the best I can, grandpa…!" he yelled, but he was cut short as Ryoko kicked him from behind, causing him to skid across the grounds. He leapt back to his feet almost immediately, but he was too far away from Ryoko to mount an attack.

Ryoko looked at his clothes, which were now covered in grass stains, and she started laughing, pointing at his shirt.

"Yeah, yeah. Jolly Green Giant now, is that it?" Tenchi muttered, glaring at both Ryoko and Katsuhito. "If you didn't distract me, she wouldn't have gotten that shot in," he growled.

"You must be prepared for everything, Tenchi," Katsuhito returned. "You must learn to pay attention to everything around you. You cannot focus on just one thing. You'll lose if you do."

Tenchi rolled his eyes. "How often am I going to be fighting with someone while you're giving advice to me?" he argued, but he was cut short as Ryoko snuck up behind him and clubbed him over the head with her bokken.

"Pay attention, Tenchi!" she yelled, growing irritated. "You have a one track mind."

"You're all picking on me," Tenchi snarled, swinging his own sword at Ryoko, who teleported away. Looking above him, he saw her floating casually, her hair being whipped around from the wind, and she almost looked like a tigress, ready to pounce on her prey. "Yeah, THAT's real fair, Ryoko."

"Quit your whining, boy!" Katsuhito snapped, getting to his feet. "I think you've had enough training for one day. We'll continue tomorrow."

Wiping the perspiration off of his brow, Tenchi sat down on the ground, breathing heavily. "Oh man, what a day," he mumbled to himself.

Ryoko returned to the ground and sat next to Tenchi, and she kissed the bump that she caused on his head. "Sorry about that, but you weren't paying attention."

Wincing in pain, he ducked out from under her affection. "You and grandpa are two of a kind. You both love distracting me and then pounding me afterwards. It's getting annoying."

"Tenchi, listen. We only do that to make you improve. Once you finally start overcoming that obstacle, we'll move on to your next weak point and improve that too," Ryoko explained, gently rubbing Tenchi's head with her right hand. "But you're too easily distracted and you only pay attention to one thing at a time. You need to learn how to focus on everything in your surroundings."

Sighing quietly to himself, he hung his head. "I'm sorry for yelling at you. I guess I'm just a little tired. I haven't slept very well over the last couple of nights for some weird reason."

"Would you like to go to the mall or something? I think you need to take your mind off of your troubles and relax for a while," Ryoko suggested.

Tenchi shook his head. "Sorry, Ryoko, but I have to do laundry today. Kiyone and Mihoshi will be coming over tomorrow too, and I have to clean the bath. I'm just too busy to relax right now."

"Aw, but Tenchi! You need a break too. You're going to wear yourself out if you keep this up. It'll only be for a couple hours. What harm is there in that?" Ryoko begged, giving him her best pitiful look.

"Come on, Ryoko. These things won't get done on their own." Tenchi grunted as he got to his feet, rubbing his sore calves.

Sighing quietly to herself, she floated dejectedly next to Tenchi as he made his way down the shrine steps. "If I help you get done faster, then will you go with me to the mall?"

"Aw man," Tenchi muttered under his breath. "Yeah, I'll go," he said, but not sounding enthusiastic about it at all.

Now smiling, Ryoko hugged Tenchi. "Thank you, sweetie. One of these days you and I are going to have to go on a trip together. You know, just the two of us. There are many wonders out there in the universe, and I'd like to show you some of them, if you'd let me. It would be very romantic and fun. You did say you'd go with me, Tenchi."

Tenchi didn't seem to be paying attention to her as he made his way down to the last step and onto the walkway to the house. "Maybe one day we will," he finally said. "But I don't know when."

"What about now?" she said, appearing in front of him, looking dead serious.

"Ryoko! Don't be ridiculous. I have school to attend, things to do around here, and practice with Grandpa. I just don't have the time right now. I have too many responsibilities around here already," Tenchi growled, getting irritated.

"Don't you want to go with me though?" she asked, clasping her hands together in front of herself. "Is there another reason you won't go? Is it me?"

"What?! Whatever gave you that idea?" Tenchi said, looking very annoyed and surprised.

"It's just… oh, I don't know," she finally mumbled, and she hung her head. "I'm sorry, Tenchi."

Sighing to himself again, he shook his head. "Come on, Ryoko," he said, lifting her face gently with his hand and smiling. "Let's do the laundry and then I'll see if dad will let me borrow the van so we can go shopping. Okay?"

Her visage brightened up a bit. "Okay, Tenchi. But we better hurry. The mall closes at nine, and it's already six."

"We'll have plenty of time if you help me with that stuff."

Thinking to herself for a moment, she came up with an idea. "Why don't we just have Russ do it? He hasn't done much of anything around here."

"Yeah right," he retorted. "He cuts the grass every weekend, cleans the shrine steps, cooks, and does a variety of other things around the house. He's far more ambitious than even I am, and the only reason it looks like he doesn't do anything is because he's so fast. What would take me an hour only takes him five minutes. But right now, something is wrong with him, and I think we should leave him alone. Besides, I can't have him bare all the responsibilities around the house."

"Why not? He EATS more than all of us combined!" Ryoko countered, landing on the ground in Tenchi's way. "He's the most expensive stomach here!"

Scratching his head, he looked over toward the lake and saw Russ and Sasami in the tree, leaning together, snoozing. "That's true, but for some very weird reason, he actually pays for some stuff around here. I don't know where he has been getting the money, but it isn't like he doesn't help out financially. Maybe it was an inheritance from his parents or something. Besides, I wouldn't want to disturb him right now. He looks so peaceful up there in that tree with Sasami."

Ryoko also looked toward the tree, watching the twosome nap together. "Yeah, they do look cute, don't they?"

"Come on," Tenchi said, taking her by the hand. "Lets go to the mall first. The laundry can wait until we get home, okay? But you'll have to help me with it."

Instantly wrapping her arms around Tenchi, she giggled happily. "Thank you, Tenchi. Let's go right now."

Entering the living room through the sliding glass door, Tenchi spied his father on the couch, his nose still in his newspaper. He didn't even notice when Tenchi called his name.

"Dad!" Tenchi said, making his voice quite loud.

"Ack! Oh, what is it, Tenchi?" Nobuyuki asked, peering over his paper, finally noticing his son and soon-to-be daughter in law.

"May I borrow the van to go to the mall? Ryoko and I would like to go shopping together," he requested, folding his hands behind his back. The space pirate smiled too, resting her chin on Tenchi's shoulder.

"Did you do the laundry yet?" he asked, digging into his pocket.

Tenchi shook his head. "Not yet, but I'll be sure and do it when I get back, if that is okay."

"Sure. Just make sure you don't forget. I need some fresh clothes for tomorrow," he said, tossing the keys over to Tenchi, but he missed and they fell on the floor.

"Thanks dad," he said, kneeling down to pick up the keys. "We'll be back in a couple hours."

"Have a good time!" he called after them, as they went outside.

Ryoko held onto his arm as they both made their way to the van. "Your father is so nice," she said, feeling the muscles in Tenchi's arm.

Nodding his head in agreement, he unlocked the door at the same moment Aeka came around the house. She was about to wind up the hose, but she saw the two of them out of the corner of her eye. She smiled and waved.

"Where are you guys heading off to?" she called, making her way over to them.

"We were going to go to the mall. I'm bored and Tenchi is tired, so it's just something for us to do and relax for a while. Want to come?" Ryoko invited.

Smiling, but shaking her head, she politely declined. "Thanks for the offer, but no. You two have a nice time and relax. Especially you, Tenchi," she said, looking seriously at him. "You've been working quite hard and I can tell you're getting fatigued. Have fun, I demand it."

"Yes ma'am," Tenchi responded, smiling. Ryoko looked at Aeka a little strangely, but she smiled and got into the passenger seat. Tenchi closed the door for her and went around to the other side and got in. Putting the key into the ignition, the van started up and he put it into gear, rolling away from the crown princess. They both waved to her, and Tenchi pulled onto the road, heading to the mall.

Ryoko looked out of the rear view mirror at Aeka, who turned and went back to the hose. "She seems to be back to her normal self, but I think something is bothering her. But what's up with Russ? He's been meditating for almost a week now."

"You noticed it too? It's been really quiet for the past week. I was used to the loud crashes and constant noise from him, but lately, it's almost been too quiet. It is very unusual to see him meditate like that. I have no idea what it could be. But it's making me nervous."

"Me too. I've never seen a person concentrate like that in my life. It almost scares me more with him being the way he is now rather than showing us his incredible strength."

Tenchi reached over to the radio and turned it on, finding the band set to AM. "Ugh, there is never anything on AM besides talk shows and news," he said, flipping it over to FM and tuning it to a station that played anime songs with various other hits done by the vocal artists. "That's better."

Ryoko continued to look out the window at the passing countryside. "Something is going to happen. There has to be a reason Russ is meditating like that," she mumbled to herself.

"I think so too, Ryoko, but he won't tell us what. I hate it when he does that. It's almost like he likes teasing us with his secrets," Tenchi said, rolling down his window and resting his right arm over the ledge. "But anyway, it has been very peaceful and tranquil around the house for quite a while. I believe this is the longest it has gone without some sort of confrontation."

"You think it is about time for another one?"

Nodding his head, Tenchi glanced over at Ryoko. "Yeah. Actually, I do. I have a feeling that something is going to happen, and Russ is getting ready for it too. You don't suppose…" Tenchi trailed off, his face becoming fearful. "You don't suppose that it has to do with Zorpheus's arrival?"

Sharing a moment of the same thought, Tenchi looked back toward the road and became very quiet, and Ryoko did too. Neither said another word until they reached the mall.

"No, Akaki, that's not how it works! No wonder it exploded!" Washu scolded over her phantom laptop, looking at charred remains of what used to be a plasma injector. "Who taught you how to handle equipment like that? You should know finger oils cause major mishaps! Those devices are worse than halogen bulbs here on Earth! You're not supposed to touch them!"

Akaki looked back at his invention and then back at his mother, but then started laughing. "I'm sorry, mom. I didn't know. Nobody tells me much of anything, so I have to learn it all the hard way."

"You should've called me first, rather than after the fact," she continued. "How much did that thing cost you?"

"Not much, actually. They're pretty cheap on this planet. I'll have to go buy a replacement, but it isn't that big of a deal," he said, wheeling away from the monitor to a table nearby, which had an elaborate electronic device with many blinking lights, a set of tank treads for mobility, and had a variety of probes sticking out of it. He pressed a button on the side, and the lights went out.

Washu leaned back in her cushion, placing her hand to her forehead. "I'm getting too old for this stuff," she mumbled. Reaching into her lab coat pocket, she withdrew a pen and started drawing on a piece of paper that was on her desk next to her computer. "Give me a few minutes and I'll draw up a quick plan to show you how to connect it up, okay?"

"Mom, you don't have to…" Akaki began, but was interrupted by one of his associates.

Narrowing her eyes at the young lady who was discussing something with him, she turned up the volume of her computer, trying to make out what they said to each other. At the same moment, Akaki turned toward the camera, narrowed his own eyes, and then muted the microphone. After which, he shook his index finger back and forth, knowing what his mom was doing.

Looking into her own camera with a look of shock and surprise, she folded her arms over her chest and looked away, embarrassed that she was caught eavesdropping. Glancing over at the plans she started, she immediately resumed drawing them, patiently waiting for her son to finish.

"What do you think you're doing, mom? That's so rude," Akaki growled, turning his microphone back on. His voice blared over Washu's sound system, as she had forgotten to return the volume to normal.

Startled by the sudden loud noise, her pen went straight across her paper, putting a nice, curved line right through her plans. Veins started protruding from her forehead while she turned back toward her computer, an evil, psychotic look on her face. "I'm going to turn you into a water sprite!" she yelled, hitting a variety of keys in rapid succession, trying to target her son. "How could you do that to me!"

Typing as fast as his hands could go, Akaki put up a personal forcefield just before Washu's scanners acquired a lock. "It's not MY fault you tried eavesdropping on me!" he yelled, glaring at his mother. "It was a private conversation, so there!"

Her computer had the words, 'Target Unattainable' written on the screen, as the targeting scanners lost the subject. "You're pretty good. You're definitely my son," Washu said, proudly.

Akaki breathed a sigh of relief. "That's the second time you've tried to do that to me, mom. What's with you and water sprites anyway?"

Chuckling quietly to herself, she remembered the first time she turned both Ryoko and Aeka into water sprites. It was absolutely hilarious, as they both waddled around, resembling penguins on Earth. Sasami and Mihoshi both found the little creatures completely adorable, so Washu made it a point to turn both Aeka and Ryoko into the little animals whenever their behavior got completely out of hand. However, as of late, she hadn't turned either one of them into a water sprite, and she was getting a little anxious to do it again. She tried to do it to Russ, but he didn't take to it well and was very angry toward her for even suggesting it. Of course, she was being rude at the time and she knew it, so she backed off. She wasn't interested in rebuilding her phantom laptop.

"Well mom, I guess that's about it for today, unless you can think of something else you'd like to talk about," Akaki said, resting in his seat.

Washu smiled. "I'm very happy you keep in touch so frequently," she said, taking off her glasses and resting them on her desk. Leaning forward, she rested her elbows on the table and put her chin in the palms of her hands. "Who was that girl, anyway?" she blurted out.

"She's… my lab assistant," he explained, looking back toward the door. "She's been working with me on the side for quite a while. She's a brain, like you, and loves to tinker with new inventions and stuff. I do this on the side, when I'm not at work. It's just something to do besides clean the house every day and it helps me learn more."

Washu grinned, the light from the computer screen accentuating her facial features. "Only a lab assistant?" she queried, getting a little closer to the screen.

Akaki squirmed uncomfortably in his seat. "Yes."

Cackling evilly, Washu put her finger to the monitor. "You may be very smart, but you're a terrible liar," she taunted. "Who is she, really? I've seen her around ever since you called me the first time, but I never bothered to ask."

"Just forget about it, mom," he returned, glaring at the display.

"She's your girlfriend, is that it? What's wrong? Can't introduce her to your old, dried up mother?" she teased.

Akaki's green eyes widened considerably. "No! That's not it!"

"Then what is it, son?" she asked, not intending to back off.

"Oh, forget it! I've got to go, mom," he said, reaching behind him to lift a textbook that was on the table next to his robot.

Sticking out her tongue, Washu gave Akaki a raspberry. "So she's your girlfriend. What's her name?" she asked, gently.

His face began to turn as red as a tomato. "Her name is Yui. Satisfied?" he grumbled, glaring hard at his computer screen.

Of course, she wasn't. "Yui? That's a nice name. How long have you two been together?"

"MOM!!! Stop prying!" he begged, wringing his hands in front of him.

"I'm just trying to get to know a little bit about her, son. There is no harm in that. It's just some simple questions," she said, trying to get him to open up.

"You're impossible! We've been together for about a year now. Okay? I bet you want to know her three sizes too!"

"Couldn't hurt," she said, keying a few commands to archive the data. "I'll just set up an entry for her in my database and…"

"STOP THAT!!!!!" Akaki roared, looking petrified.

Washu looked at him, a slight smile on her lips. "What? There's nothing unusual about keeping physical data on another person."

"Would you cut that out!" he yelled, now fully embarrassed and emotionally scarred. "You're killing me!"

"I guess I have to go over there and meet her for myself, right, son?" she said, standing up. The camera followed her movements and kept her centered on the screen.

Akaki looked like he was about to have a heart attack and die. "NO!! Come on, mom!" he whined, looking like a little kid.

"What's the big deal?" Washu retorted, putting her hands on her hips. "How come you don't want to talk about her? Every boy wants to talk about their girlfriends 'n stuff."

"To their friends, yes, but not to their parents!" he returned, looking like he was about to explode.

"This is definitely grounds for turning you into a water sprite," she warned, holding a finger over a particular key. "I guess this is a bad time to tell you that my computer has found a back door to your forcefield and has acquired a lock."

"ALRIGHT!" he yelled. "You win. Sheesh, you're so manipulative." Akaki sat back in his chair, defeated. "What do you want to know about her?"

"Well, how did you guys meet?" Washu asked, sitting down on her cushion again.

"Actually, we met at work. I was working on a project that I was behind on, and the deadline for it was the next day, but I had about two days worth of work to get finished. I asked for help, and she answered my call. We both just… clicked, and that project was finished in only three hours. It was incredible, and she was very nice and sweet. To be nice to her and return the favor, I invited her out to lunch, and things picked up from there," Akaki explained, smiling. "I couldn't believe how much alike we are. We both enjoy the same hobbies, same music, same foods, same activities, and we are both very intelligent. It is almost like finding a soul mate. Frankly, I think I did with her."

Smiling widely, Washu nodded her head. "That's so wonderful. So you two have been together for a year now?"

Akaki nodded. "Somewhere around there, yeah. She's the perfect girl for me."

"I guess this is a bad time to say that I was bluffing about acquiring a target lock on you," Washu said, tapping the key with her finger.

Staring incredulously at her, he ground his teeth. "I hate you," he snarled.

Washu laughed, and sat back. "Anyway, where is she now?" the red haired super genius inquired.

"She's upstairs, working on her thesis for school. She had a question to ask me, which is why she came down here," he answered. "She's working on a new way of traveling through space. It's supposed to be very, very fast."

Washu grinned. "She may have to give up on it."

Giving her a blank stare, he scratched his head. "Why?"

"Well, one of Russ's friends, Tom, has a ship that can travel from Earth to Jurai in about twelve hours. Using that value, it can travel from one side of this galaxy to the other in less than four days for an estimate," Washu explained.

"That's impossible. No ship moves that fast."

Washu shook her head and put up a picture of the Gray Wolf on the screen. "See this ship here?"

"What the hell kind of vessel is that? It looks like a big triangle," he said, getting a perspective view of the Starwars destroyer.

"It's from an Earth science fiction film called Starwars. It's an imperial class star destroyer. It's about sixteen hundred meters in length, but it can enter something called hyperspace. It's a very weird form of faster-than-light travel, but it is incredibly fast. What would take a week now takes less than half a day," she explained.

"A ship that size can move that fast? How?"

"I don't know. I wasn't allowed access to that information."

"You were ON that ship?" he asked, stunned.

Washu nodded her head. "Yes. We went to the Jurai Startica Festival on it. Tom was nice enough to chauffeur all of us there. It's wall-to-wall computers. You would've been in heaven onboard that ship."

"What kind of power source did it have?"

"That was extremely intriguing. The ship is actually powered by a small star controlled in a special containment area with forcefields and specially designed walls. They're able to artifically create a star and harness the energy from that star and turn it into power. The vessel is horrendously complex, and because of that, full of bugs and glitches. It's very new and so advanced that they're literally pioneering that technology, and they are not willing to share it yet."

His face a mask of complete awe, he became excited. "What other specifications do you know about that ship?"

Grinning, Washu hit a few keys on her computer, bringing up a list of specs that she was able to collect from the ship itself and from Earth sources. "Well, aside from its mile-long length, its hull is made of several meter thick durasteel plating, capable of repelling nearly any kind of energy or explosive weapon for a good span of time. But you'll probably never get there, because the shields on that ship are insanely powerful. The Jurian military couldn't dent that ship, even if they tried. It could probably take on a small fleet and come out unscathed. It has a compliment of sixty turbolaser turrets, which in fact aren't lasers at all, but packets of super high-energy plasma. On top of that, it has sixty ion cannons, capable of disrupting electrical systems on opposing ships to render them defenseless. It has a crew capacity of over thirty five thousand individuals, however, they're almost at their maximum with only ten thousand because their crew quarters are much different than the ones in the movie. The movie version was actually a destroyer class combat vessel, and a massive crew of that many was required. Anyway, it also has about forty-six starfighters, a variety of transports and shuttles, and some other wild bits and pieces of technology, including something called a holodeck. It's more advanced than the holographic technology we use, in the sense that everything appears real. It can even fool my computer's scanners. That is called particle synthesis, and was very new and advanced. And to top it off, that ship can cloak too."

Akaki listened intently, becoming more and more interested. "Do you think that one day I can see that ship?"

"Maybe. Believe it or not, Tom has a small fleet of ships already of various classes. He told me that other ships were in construction, but they should be finished by now. He constructed a Nebulon B Escort Frigate, a Victory class Star Destroyer, a Blockade Runner or Corvette, a Dreadnought, a Strike Cruiser, a Carrack Cruiser, a MC80a Mon Calamari Cruiser, and some other ships. He's still working on another ship, called an Executor class Super Star Destroyer, which is the biggest jalopy I've ever seen. It's somewhere around seventeen point six kilometers in length, or about eleven miles long. It's covered in turbolasers and it's shielding is supposedly impenetrable. I always say that smaller, more mobile ships is the way to go, but in his case, he'll fill that entire ship with people and because of that, the size is necessary."

"My lord, that's insane. What is Jurai going to do about it? You know how they get when they see a potential threat," he said, worried.

"Everything is being built in secret. The only vessel that has been seen so far is the Gray Wolf, which is his personal ship at the moment. Jurai didn't really do anything about it because they weren't able to get any definite readings on it. Tom was pretty stupid though, because he staged a big furball with Russ, and the rest of the ship got involved. Even though their weapons were only in practice mode, the output of those weapons was enough to make the Jurians worry. When the Jurians went up against Tom's forces, their shields took a beating, and the output of the weapons was so low that they barely maintained coherency. I've never seen them at full power, but apparently they're so strong that they can vaporize a decent sized asteroid in one shot, and a fleet of those can lay waste to the surface of a planet in a short amount of time.

"Very impressive. You'll have to introduce me to him sometime. But anyway, how is the rest of the family doing? You never really talk about them much."

Sighing to herself, she reached behind herself to scratch her back, and then rested her arm on the table next to her. "Well, Ryoko and Tenchi are still together and are getting ready to be married. The date for that is about a year away, so they still have plenty of time to plan and prepare. Ryoko is very, very excited, but Tenchi doesn't seem to be all that enthusiastic about it. He still has a lot of responsibilities around the house and Ryoko still doesn't understand them, and he hurts her feelings without even realizing it. Poor girl," she said, looking at a photograph of her daughter that was taken about a month ago. She looked so happy and contented with Tenchi by her side. "She's always wanting to do stuff with him, but because he's so busy, he really can't get away and do what she'd like to do. Ryoko has come in here a couple of times in a depressed mood, wondering why Tenchi won't really do anything with her, even if she begs and pleads from time to time. I try explaining it to her, but you know how children behave," she said, winking at her son. "It's always in one ear and out the other."

"Hey, present company accepted here," he said, pointing to himself. "I won't be touching plasma injectors anymore, okay? You've made your point."

"Good. But anyway, she seems to be accepting it a little more, but she still gets her feelings hurt. She gets bored at times and actually goes to do things with Aeka and Russ to pass the time away. I've talked to Tenchi about it, but he's worse than she is with letting things go right over his head. Sometimes I wonder why I waste my time."

"Because you're a good parent and a wonderful mother," Akaki said, grinning.

"Flattery will not get you anywhere with me, young man," she said, and then laughed. "But thanks. I just wish Tenchi wasn't so uptight about everything. If he was more like Russ, he might enjoy life a bit more."

"Are Russ and Aeka a couple yet?" he asked, curious.

Shaking her head, Washu sighed. "No. I've never seen someone as stubborn as Russ before. Once his mind is made up, that's it. There is no changing it, no matter what the circumstance, especially when it comes to relationships. It's crazy. I swear, he must be castrated or something."

Akaki exploded laughing, leaning forward and putting his head on the desk, trying to catch his breath. "Anal retentive to the max, right mom?"

Now it was Washu's turn to laugh. "I don't know what it is, but he just will NOT go out with Aeka or any other girl. I don't know why," Washu said, rubbing her eyes. "But in reality, he has gotten closer to her on a personal level. Aeka told me that she talked to her mother about it, and that her mother's suggestion was to stop chasing him. Thing is, it worked. I wasn't sure if it would or not. There are just too many variables to determine the outcome of love. Anyway, Russ and Sasami are like big brother and little sister. They stick together like glue and always support each other. They look so adorable and cute when they doze off outside under a tree or something. I think I have a few pictures here," Washu said, opening her archive and finding multiple images. She loaded one for Akaki to see, where Russ and Sasami were leaning together underneath Russ's tree, sleeping soundly. They were both dressed in overalls, and they both almost looked like farmers after a hard day of work.

Chuckling quietly to himself, Akaki nodded his head. "Yeah, that IS cute," he said. "How are Kiyone and Mihoshi? Are they still going crazy with their jobs?"

"No. The Galaxy Police have been providing them with funding for living expenses, so there really hasn't been a need for them to work any odd jobs. However, Kiyone still works, just to keep herself busy. She is one of those people who refuse to take a break," Washu said, looking toward the ceiling of her lab.

"Just like you, right?"

Smiling warmly, she nodded her head. "Yeah, like me."

Looking at her with a bit of concern, Akaki shifted positions in his chair, trying to get more comfortable. "When was the last time you've taken a break or done something fun?"

"Whew, I think that was way back during the Startica festival. That's the only vacation I've had in a long time. It felt good," she answered.

"Mom! You're going to wear yourself out. You should get out a little more. Actually go out and see some sunlight from time to time. You're becoming a hermit in that lab of yours," he encouraged, grinning. "I'm surprised you even leave your lab to go eat something."

Blushing slightly, she turned away. "Most of the time I even miss meals."

Akaki shook his head. "That's terrible. Do you plan on taking any vacations in the future?"

"No, not really. I've got so many experiments to work on that I just don't have the time."

"Yeah right. You're not on any kind of deadline except your own. Give yourself a break and go out and do something for a change. You're going to become unsociable from not talking with people frequently enough," he argued, worried for his mom.

Letting a small smile creep onto her lips, she came up with an idea. "Well, what do you suggest I do for a vacation?"

"Well, how about coming to visit me?" he asked, smiling.

"I'd love that," she answered, as that was the suggestion she was hoping for. "I'll get to meet your girlfriend too and run my experiments on her."

"DON'T YOU DARE!" Akaki yelled, growing flustered at his mom's way of amusing herself. "You'll get to meet her, but you're not poking, prodding, or scanning her in any way, shape, or form if you come here."

"I'm only kidding. Sheesh, you're sure uptight about her," Washu teased. "She looks nice, but she doesn't have anything on me." Washu struck a pose, thrusting out her ample chest.

"Ever since you let yourself be an adult again, you've certainly become more… less shy with yourself," he said, looking away.

Washu let out a yawn and stretched her arms over her head. "Well, I'll try to make plans to come visit you in the near future, okay?" she asked, scratching the back of her head. "I need a bath," she mumbled.

"I'd like that a lot, mom. I've come to visit you twice and I think you'd like to see where I've settled in too. I'll check my schedule and let you know when the best time to come by will be."

"Sounds good to me, son," she responded, smiling.

"Great. I'll talk to you tomorrow mom. Same time?" he asked, getting ready to switch off his computer.

"Anytime is a good time, Akaki. Talk to you tomorrow."

"Bye mom. I love you!" he said.

"I love you too, sweetie. Bye now," she said, turning off her laptop and banishing it back to subspace.

Getting up from her seat, she slowly made her way to the doorway to exit her lab, and she removed her lab coat, hanging it on a peg that was nearby. Opening her door, nearly all the lights in her lab automatically turned off, leaving just a few on to see her way to various parts of her lab.

Upon entering the living room, Aeka was seated quietly at the organ, looking out the window. Nobuyuki was nowhere to be seen. Letting her door click shut behind her, Aeka turned around and smiled.

"Good evening, Washu. I haven't seen you for a few days. How are you?" she asked, smiling warmly.

"I'm in a good mood," she responded lightly. "How about you?"

Aeka laughed. "Actually, I'm bored out of my mind. There's nothing to do. No cooking, no cleaning. It's driving me crazy."

"Where's Russ?"

Pointing her finger outside, she glanced back at Washu to see her expression.

"What does he think he is? A bird?" Washu muttered, keeping an eye on the saiyan perched on his branch. A moment later, she noticed Sasami was up there with him. "Are they asleep?"

Nodding quietly, Aeka then placed her chin in her palm and sighed to herself.

Looking back at the crown princess, she knew something was up. "Um, how long has he been up there?"

"Actually, he's been meditating for almost a week straight. He hasn't done any physical training for that long and he hasn't said much of anything. It's almost like he's a different person," she said, wistfully. "I miss him."

Washu's expression changed to one of concern. "I know a lot of martial artists begin to meditate when they're confronted with an upcoming event. They mentally prepare themselves for a major conflict. Russ has already physically prepared, but now he must mentally prepare. If you remember, Zorpheus is supposed to arrive sooner or later."

"I know that, but I don't know when," she said, taking her eyes off of Russ. However, she watched Sasami pull away from him and being to re-approach the house, flying slow and careful. She was carrying both the plate and Russ's empty glass. "Maybe she knows."

Both Aeka and Washu waited for Sasami to come into the house, intending to ask her what she learned from him. She landed on the porch gently, put the glass on the plate, and slid open the door carefully, and after walking through it, she shut it behind her.

"So did he tell you anything, Sasami?" Aeka asked, nearly plowing over her sister in anxiety.

Producing a little sweatdrop, she nodded her head. "Yes, actually. Zorpheus will arrive tomorrow," she said simply.

Suddenly, things seemed to get much quieter. It was almost as if everything in the world knew of the impending doom and had become nervous and quiet from it.

"Is that why he's been up there for so long?" Aeka finally asked.

Sasami nodded her head. "He's been meditating for a long time, preparing himself for Zorpheus. He's nervous, but very excited."

"Excited? Why?" Washu asked.

"He explained it to me, but it didn't make much sense. He says that because he is a warrior, he gets excited over the idea of fighting again. He loves fighting."

"I remember him telling us about that before," Washu said, summoning her laptop and keying in her confirmed findings. "But he knows that Zorpheus will be here tomorrow?"

Sasami nodded. "He's completely sure of himself."

"I wonder…" Washu said, linking her laptop to her main computer, which in turn, accessed multiple satellites that she kept in orbit. Scanning for vessels, it came up blank. "I just scanned the solar system and I don't see any ships," she said.

Aeka thought a moment. "Remember the ship Russ originally arrived in… that little space pod? Did you scan for something that size or were you looking for something bigger?"

Scanning again, she extended the range of the sensors, trying to detect any incoming debris or other items of that particular size. Five small blips showed up on her screen, so she scanned again, narrowing her search parameters to rule out any kind of asteroid. Once the scan completed, one blip remained. Looking up from her monitor, she gave an emotionless look to both Aeka and Sasami.

"He's coming. His ship is still beyond the solar system, but he's coming. At his current rate of travel, he'll arrive on Earth sometime around noon or one."

"What are we going to do?" Sasami asked, looking frightened.

"There is really nothing we can do," Washu said, keying a few more commands on her keyboard. "I suppose we could try blowing up his pod while it is still in space, but we can't destroy anything until he does something wrong, or the Galaxy Police will be all over us for murder."

Standing tall, Aeka took on her regal appearance, despite her Earth type clothing. "I can order you to destroy that ship," Aeka said, seriously. "If it comes from a member of the Jurai Royal Family while in our territory, it can supercede the Galaxy Police."

"You will do no such thing," a deep voice behind them said.

All three women turned toward the door to see Russ standing there, his face a hard glare at both Aeka and Washu.

"But Russ, if we get rid of him, you won't have to fight him," Washu explained. "Everything would be…"

"Absolutely not. I will not have anybody killing anybody for something they haven't even done yet. It's true that he may fight with me, but it is also possible that he'll just blow it off as if it were nothing. He's like that. I'd rather take the chance and save a life rather than do something sneaky like killing him off before he even gets here. That's dishonorable and cowardly and I won't do it," he growled, stepping inside. "The answer is no. Do not argue with me over it because the answer will remain the same."

Washu and Aeka both looked at each other, and then shrugged their shoulders. "If that's what you want, Russ. We won't do anything," Washu said, sending her computer back into subspace. "Zorpheus will be here between noon and one tomorrow afternoon. Prepare for his arrival," she said, turning toward the bathroom and going inside, letting the door click shut behind her.

Russ let out a deep sigh. "I'm sorry for sounding upset," he apologized. "But doing things like that, especially to someone who was a very close friend of mine, doesn't work for me."

Nodding her head in understanding, Aeka put her hand on his huge shoulder. "I understand and I'm sorry. I didn't mean to make you upset."

Letting a small smile creep into his lips, he reached up and took her hand in his. "It's okay. I guess I'm just a little tired. I've been concentrating for so long that my head hurts a little."

"It's been about a week. Are you ready now?" she asked quietly, looking into his eyes.

"As ready as I'll ever be. All I have to do tomorrow is get Zorpheus into that room and then I'll tell him what I did with the Dragonballs. I know he'll get pissed at me for that, and he may take out a bit of his frustration on me, but he may overlook the whole thing too. I just hope nothing goes out of control tomorrow," Russ said, worriedly. "The last thing I need to have happen is to have one of you guys hurt."

"We'll be okay as long as we stay outside of the room, right?" Sasami asked, looking up at him.

Nodding his head, Russ then let out a sigh. "I hope so. Washu says that the world is in an entirely different dimension, but the dimensions are connected through a doorway. I sincerely hope that nothing gets through it."

Aeka and Sasami both looked at him with worried eyes, and without giving it a second thought, they both approached Russ and hugged him, as it could be the very last time they'd see him alive.

"Do good, Russ. We're counting on you," Sasami said, holding back her tears.

"We'll be watching you. Washu set up a special room where we can see everything that will happen. It'll almost be like the holodeck, but it'll be a direct link to your battlefield. You won't see us, but we'll see you," Aeka said, holding him tightly.

Russ smiled, feeling his own body shake slightly from his nervousness. Resting his left hand on Sasami's head and wrapping his other arm around Aeka, he gave them both reassurances that he was there and would do anything for them. "I'll do my best. Don't worry about me. But whatever happens, do not go into that room. It could wind up being extremely violent and either of you could be hurt quite easily."

"Okay, Russ," Sasami said, hugging him tightly, feeling his muscles through his clothes. "Remember your promise."

Aeka remained silent, not agreeing nor disagreeing to interfere in his fight. She knew she was outmatched and outclassed, but it didn't matter. She loved Russ, and she'd do anything for him. It didn't matter who his adversary was or what he told her was best for her. If it meant she had to die to save him, she'd do it without regret or a second thought. He was just too important to her and she was not willing to let him go for any reason. Hugging him even more tightly, letting out a few tears squeeze their way out of the corners of her eyes, she refused to let him go.

"Um, Aeka? Are you okay?" Russ asked, noticing a teardrop running down her cheek. "It's alright. Don't worry. I think everything will go okay tomorrow."

"I… just want to hold you for a while longer," she whispered. "I may never get to do it again if you…" she trailed off, sniffling. The late sun was just about ready to disappear behind the far end of the valley, still flooding the living room with intense, orange light.

Feeling that lump in his throat return, he told himself that even though she loved him, she was far more important than he was, and he would not risk her life for something that involved him. Ever. She was so vulnerable, but so beautiful, that Russ felt a conflict of emotions roaring in his head. One side was telling him to follow his heart, the other side telling him to follow his head. Unfortunately for both him and her, his head was winning.

Very slowly making his way over to the couch, he sat down in the middle of it, and Aeka sat down next to him, still not releasing her hold on him. Sasami took a seat next to him on the other side, resting her own head against his shoulder, but holding tightly onto his arm.

"I'll never forgive you if you die," Aeka said, wiping her eyes with her shirt.

"He won't die. He promised me he wouldn't," Sasami said, looking over at her sister and smiling.

Russ looked over at Sasami, and then at Aeka, looking contented and surprisingly happy. "That's right. I did promise that, didn't I?" he said, keeping his voice very low.

Sasami nodded her head. "Yes you did."

Looking out toward the lake, watching the ripples on the surface of the water, Russ felt at peace with himself. The feeling he had inside couldn't be described merely by words or actions, but as an emotion that he had felt only once before. But he already knew what it was, and the heartache it caused. That uncontrollable rage that he felt when Laurie was killed was insurmountable and unparalleled, and he never wanted to feel that again. But he did want to feel the contentedness and love that was flowing from the two girls who sat next to him on the couch.

His mind went to war again, fighting to keep them or to turn them away. He took that chance once and it went up in a huge fireball, and he never wanted to take that chance again. Knowing the risk involved to the two girls was extremely high, he debated on whether it would be worth it or not. Did he want to feel that sense of love for the rest of his life, but risk the heartbreak that could be caused by one of their deaths? Or, should he turn them both away, and deny himself both the love and the chance of heartache? Was it really worth it?

That wasn't the only problem too. Aeka's stature was a major blow to their chances of a relationship, despite what her parents had said. Both Misaki and Funaho approved of their relationship, but her father was vehemently against it, and he could understand why. Remembering what he told Aeka on Christmas Day, "You live here with us, for now. One day, you will go back home to rule the most powerful empire in this galaxy." He knew he'd never fit in with the Jurai Royal Family and he knew a marriage between Aeka and he was impossible. "That would never work, and you know it. I am a man from a race thought to be extinct, and he just waltzes in to become the Princess's groom? No, that couldn't happen," he had said.

"Well, it's past nine," Russ said gently. "I should go to bed and get a good night's sleep so I'm good and refreshed for tomorrow."

"Russ?"

"Yes, Sasami?" he responded, glancing down at her.

"Can I sleep in your room with you tonight?" she asked, looking at him with frightened eyes. "I'd feel better if I can stay with you."

"Me too," Aeka said, looking up at him with the same worried eyes. "Please?"

Sighing to himself, he debated on what he should tell them. "I won't be going anywhere tonight and I'll still be here in the morning…" he began.

"Please?" Sasami begged, not caring about his reasons.

"I… uh…" he started, but closed his eyes and then let out a deep breath. "Yeah. You can sleep in my room with me."

"What about me?" Aeka asked, looking like she was going to cry.

Russ nodded his head. "Yes, you too."

"Thank you. You're my big brother," Sasami said, letting go of his arm and making her way up the stairs. "I'm going to go get my futon and put it in your room, and then we can go to bed."

Aeka got up as well, heading toward the stairs. "I'll do the same. I'm going to get into my nightclothes and then join you in your room."

Getting up, he slowly followed them up the stairs, the steps creaking under his tremendous weight from his added muscle mass. Reaching the top and heading to his room, he slid back his door and went in, making sure his floor was still clean. Hardly ever in his room to begin with, he was only in it just to sleep or listen to his stereo when it was raining. All he ever had to do was make his bed, which he rarely did anyway, and make sure the furniture wasn't dusty.

Tossing back his covers, then reaching over to turn his fan on, he laid down on top of his bed, awaiting the intrusion of the two princesses. He wasn't sleepy, but he was tired from the mental stress he was putting himself through. The arrival of Zorpheus, the prospect of having Aeka as a girlfriend, the potential for all of his friends to be killed, weighed very heavily on his mind. Even though he said that it would all work out, he was still having trouble convincing himself of that.

It wasn't very often, but Zorpheus had blown his stack a few times and had gone ballistic, killing off armies of people by himself. He could only stand there and watch in amazement at the sheer amount of power and will to win that he had possessed, especially while he was enraged. However, he was very difficult to make upset, as he was himself, but still, would revealing to him that the Dragonballs could not grant immorality cause him to open up a can of whoop-ass? Hoping that Zorpheus would keep his cool, Russ closed his eyes, listening to the chirping birds that were still awake outside, then glanced out his window. Twilight was setting in, making the sky gorgeous shades of orange, red, blue and violet. The sun reflected off of the clouds, turning them orange, making them look like dyed cotton balls… or fireballs. His concentration was interrupted at the sound of his door opening.

"I'll be down here," Sasami said, spreading her futon about a foot away from his bed. Dressed in her nightclothes, she looked very cute. An oversized Ryo-Ohki t-shirt was all she had on, except for her undergarments. The shirt was almost long enough to touch the floor. Ryo-Ohki had followed her in, patiently waiting for Sasami to tuck herself in so she could sleep next to her.

Smiling and nodding his head in acknowledgement, Russ remained silent, his mind going back to Sasami and Aeka. He replayed dozens of significant events in his mind, remembering the enjoyment he felt over the past year, and also the heartache of refusing Aeka again and again. She was the most stubborn woman he had ever known. Doing a quick mental count, he would've sworn he told her no on at least forty occasions, but each time, she'd rebound and go after him again.

The door slid open once more, this time revealing Aeka in her purple nightgown. She had her futon and pillow rolled up under her arm, and she smiled upon entering his room. "I'll sleep next to Sasami," she said, kneeling down and carefully spreading her bed onto the floor. "And no, I will not take your bed," she said, winking at him.

Russ's face began to turn red, but fortunately, the setting sun hid it well. "I was just about to ask you if you wanted it," he said, his voice low, deep, and smooth. "But I also knew you'd refuse it." He chuckled quietly.

Both princesses tucked themselves in using the last of the remaining daylight to see. It wasn't long before the room became dark, but it never got dark enough to where they couldn't see. Strong, radiant moonlight pierced through the window, illuminating his room in pale moonlight. Crickets were chirping their nightly chorus outside the window, but the fan on Russ's desk was enough to silence them.

"Russ?"

"Yes, Aeka?"

"What are you going to do after your fight?" she asked, keeping her voice low. Sasami's breathing was slow and peaceful, and they could both tell that she fell asleep quickly.

"Sasami asked me that earlier," he answered quietly. "I was only supposed to come here to stop Zorpheus, and afterward, I was going to leave and go somewhere else. Maybe go see Tom and stay with him for a while. He could use a good pair of strong hands to help build his fleet of ships."

"I… see." Turning over on her side to face Russ, she tucked her arm under her pillow, raising it up enough to keep her head level. "Are you still going to do that?"

Russ also shifted positions, getting a clear view of her from the moonlight that blanketed the floor. "I don't know."

"You don't want to stay with us?"

'I knew that was coming,' he said to himself. "To be honest, you'd be better off without me."

"So you're going to leave, even after all of this time, even after winning over all of our hearts, and becoming a part of our family?" she whispered.

"Tom still needs help. I've been his friend for a very long time, and he could use a person like me," he answered lamely, wishing she didn't bring that subject up.

"Then I'll go with you," she answered. "I'll go with you into Hell, to the end of the universe, or beyond," she said, her voice squeaky from the lump that was caught in her throat. "I don't want to be apart from you."

"Stop it," he whispered. "It isn't right and it won't work. How many more times will I have to explain that to you?"

"When will you understand that I've fallen for you?" she replied, her soft voice wavering.

Tossing back his covers, Russ sat up. "Come on," he whispered. "If you want to argue again, we should do it where we won't wake Sasami up."

Sitting up, being careful to be as quiet as possible, she got to her feet, but Russ could see two streaks of light that went from the corners of her eyes down to her chin, courtesy of the tears that he caused once again.

Russ grimaced, but fortunately the darkness hid his reaction. Lifting off the floor, he floated over to his door, slid it back, and went outside, followed by the crown princess, who mimicked his movements. She quietly let the door close, and she followed him down the stairs to the living room. The moonlight was so intense that they could both see clearly and didn't need any extra light. It was still comfortably warm and relaxing. Landing on the floor, Russ looked back at Aeka, and then outside. Gesturing with his index finger, he opened the glass door and stepped out onto the porch, a very light, cool breeze ruffling his clothes. Following obediently, she shut the door behind him, and they both sat down, not having said a word since leaving his room.

The sky was crystal clear, littered with thousands of little stars, twinkling their everlasting light. The moon was big, round, and full, casting its light on the landscape, changing it and making it look like a whole new world. The crickets were loud, but not deafening, and it sounded nice and pleasant. An owl hooted somewhere in the forest, letting the night bugs know that it was hungry.

Turning toward each other, Russ and Aeka both said each other's names at the same moment, and they both sighed.

"Go ahead," Russ invited, still keeping his voice low, but not a whisper.

"Please tell me… is it because you don't like me?" she began, looking into Russ's eyes.

Russ smiled, and then shook his head. "No. I already told you why. I'm sorry you don't want to accept that answer, but it's the truth."

"I understand everything about you, except this," she said, looking down at the soft grasses at the end of the porch. "There has to be another reason behind it. Is it because you find me unattractive?"

"Here we go again. No, that's not it either. You're one of the most beautiful girls I've ever had the pleasure of knowing or even associating with," he said, but stopped. "No… you're the MOST beautiful girl I've ever seen," he answered, blushing.

Aeka blushed as well. "You're not just saying that?"

"Do you think that I could say otherwise?" he countered. "I told you this a long time ago, but I do not like telling lies or hearing them. There is a time and a place for it, and I have lied in the past, but never to you."

"You told us you were going to be here on vacation when you first arrived," she said, frowning at him. "And you also said that you were never in a relationship. Those were both lies, weren't they?"

Sighing and hanging his head, he nodded. "Yes. I lied about my relationship with Laurie because I wanted to keep that a secret for the rest of my life, but it could also be considered the truth, because we never officially went out with each other. Secondly, I didn't know how long I'd actually be here, but it turned out to be much longer than I thought. Technically speaking, when I do leave, my vacation here would be over. I have enjoyed myself here as if I were on a vacation, but as with all trips and breaks, they all must come to an end. And it will come to an end after the fight tomorrow," he said, turning his eyes away from her and looking at the lake.

Brushing a stray hair out of her eyes, she too looked at the water, which resembled a sheet of glass. "I see. How much longer will you stay after your work is done tomorrow?"

"I don't know. Once I'm sure Zorpheus has given up on the Dragonballs and immortality, then I'll probably leave."

"You know, I can make it difficult for you to do that. I'll stop you, if I have to. I do not want you to leave me and I do not want to be apart from you. Do you realize how crushed I'd be? You're already hurting me beyond words, telling me that you want to leave," she said, her voice wavering again. "It's almost like nobody wants me. Tenchi didn't want me. You don't want me. Is there something wrong with me? What is it?" she said, turning toward Russ, the tears free flowing. "What is wrong with me?"

"Stop it," he said, his voice strong and steady, but gentle at the same time. "There is nothing wrong with you. It's me who has the problem, and it's me who does not want to resolve it."

"What? Why? Why don't you want to be with me?" she cried, trying to keep herself under control. "I just don't understand it."

"I told you before. It is far too dangerous to be with me. Besides, your stature is the major blow to a relationship. You're a leader and the crown princess of a planet that I've been to only once. I'm from a race that is supposed to be extinct. And we're just supposed to just jump into each other's arms? You know as well as I that it couldn't happen that way," he explained, trying to be as gentle as he could. "We're from two different planets with two very different cultures and different views on the outlook of life. I cannot be the prince of Jurai and you could not be the princess of my home world. We'd be shunned at one place or the other. We'd be miserable at either place."

"Then we'll go somewhere far away, or we could stay here on Earth," she said, wiping her face dry. "All I want is to live out my days with you, Sasami, and nobody else." Wrenching her hands in front of her, it took all of her restraint to keep from letting all of her frustrations out all at once. "I…" she began, but hesitated. "I… I lo…"

"Shhh," Russ said. "Don't say it. Please don't say it," he begged. "I already know how you feel, but you don't really know how I feel."

Looking up at him, her eyes reflecting some of the light from the moon, she shook her head, hesitating. "How do you feel?" she finally asked.

"My mind has been at war with my heart ever since I met you," he revealed, looking at the moon. "My heart tells me that everything will be okay, but my brain thinks it knows better. The only reason I tell you no, is because I do not want to take a chance at love again and the potential heartbreak I could have if something happened to you as a result of my actions. I've never told you this and I've kept it hidden well, but I'm crazy about you. I love how you make me smile, treat me nice, train with me, and all around, will do anything with me or for me," he revealed, his face on fire, trying to keep his voice steady. "You are my embodiment of a perfect girl. You're beautiful, intelligent, and happy. You love to have fun and go do things with me. You have a good sense of humor too. If I were from Jurai rather than from a world that nobody knows about, then yes, I probably would have… no, I know I would have gone on a date with you, and further still, married you." Russ stopped for a moment, looking toward the shrine, catching a glimpse of Aeka's awestruck expression. "You think you have me all figured out, but you have no idea how much you've been on my mind. I'm always thinking about you at nearly all times of the day. When I'm training, eating, meditating, or anything else, you enter my mind like an unstoppable wave of emotion. I can't get my mind off of you and it ruins my concentration, even during my most intense meditation sessions. It's unreal. I've never had someone who had this affect on me before. Not even Laurie was like you, in the sense of keeping my mind occupied."

Watching him quietly, her face showed nothing but surprise and wonder. "You're lying," she finally said, her expression changing to depression as she turned away from him. "If that is really true, then you've hidden it far better than you do with your secrets."

Sighing quietly to himself, Russ nodded his head. "It's true. I'm crazy about you and want to be with you more than anything, but when my brain looks at the bigger picture, my head tells me that it wouldn't work, and I agree with my head, especially after the last tragedy. I do not want to feel the heartbreak that I felt when Laurie died, and I'm afraid the same thing will happen to you, and I'm not willing to take that chance."

"But… I'm not like Laurie. You said that she wasn't a warrior and couldn't defend herself. I'm from an empire that was the strongest in the galaxy, until you showed up. There is almost nothing in this galaxy that could touch the power of the Jurai Royal Family," she said, her pride surfacing, but the last scraps of self-control she had over herself were beginning to give way, as her hands began shaking. "I can take care of myself, and it's my decision if I want to be with you. I wish you would change your mind. What will it take for you to change your mind about me?"

"There is nothing in this universe that could force me to change my mind. It is a decision that I have to come to on my own," he said, looking over at the princess, who looked even more beautiful in the soft moonlight. "On hundreds of occasions, my mind would fight with my heart, and at times, my heart would almost win, and I almost had the courage to ask you out or to be with me for the rest of my life. I'd tell myself, 'To hell with her parents, her stature, and the risk that something would happen to her. I want her to be mine, forever.' But of course, my head would always counter with the same thing. 'Remember what happened to your first love. Remember Aeka's parents and the empire she will control. It won't work.' And that battle has been raging in my head ever since I met you, but never as intensely as it has during the past several months. Neither side wins for very long, nor it has stressed me out more than it ever has before. I wish you weren't the crown princess of the most powerful empire known. If you were just a normal girl without any royal ties, then I probably would have asked you to stay with me for the rest of my life. But unfortunately, it isn't meant to be."

"If I renounce my throne, will you change your mind?" she asked, her hands balled up into tight fists, her eyes closed, as she fought with herself over what she was thinking of.

"What did you say?" Russ said, knowing full well what she said, but was shocked at the suggestion.

"If I give up my throne and my royal ties to the planet Jurai, will you accept me?" she asked again, looking at him with tear-streaked eyes and an unhappy face. "I'll do anything for you. Even this."

"Come on, Russ," Ryoko whispered from the side of the house, eavesdropping on the two. "Do it. Make her happy."

"Damn, she really put him on the ropes with that one. I can't believe she's so in love with him that she'd actually do that," Tenchi whispered back, also very drawn into their conversation.

They had made it back just after Russ and Aeka had gone out onto the porch. After they had gone to the mall, they both went to a dairy queen and had a dessert, and then walked around for a while, just to pass the time away. Tenchi knew he had to do the laundry, but it wouldn't wake anybody up, since the washer was outside.

Ryoko shook her head. "What is it going to take to make him realize that he can't get rid of her? I know that much because I couldn't get rid of her when she was chasing you," she whispered, not taking her eyes off of the couple. "I'm still very surprised that she did give you to me."

"Shhh, I can't hear what they're saying. Make sure to keep your power suppressed to nothing. I don't want him catching us," Tenchi whispered, straining to hear Russ and Aeka.

Russ remained silent, completely blown away that she was willing to break ties with her home so she could be with him. Nobody had ever offered to do anything like that for him in the past, and it felt almost like it was out of a romance novel. However, he already knew what it would mean if she did.

"No," he answered, shaking his head, his arms trembling. "Your father would be so infuriated he may try to destroy this world and me. He wouldn't be able to touch me, but I couldn't guarantee the safety of my home," Russ said, hanging his head. "I know how much you want to be with me now. I would've never thought you'd be willing to give up your home, your life, and your title, just to be with me. I'm completely at a loss at what to do now. But, do not break ties with your home. I can't let you do that, as that would be very selfish of me to force that upon you."

"I don't care," she said, sniffling. "All I ever wanted was to be loved by someone, as a person and not as a figurehead. You and Tenchi were the only ones who ever saw through my façade and saw the real me underneath it all. But both of you turned me away," she said, crying. "I'm not wanted by the two people I've fallen for, and I don't know what to do anymore. I'm almost a broken shell of a woman, as I have nothing to live for. I don't want to live for my planet, but for someone to love me, to care for me, and to be with me for the rest of my life. Everything else can go to hell, and I don't care about any risks involved. My happiness and the happiness of the person I love is paramount, and I won't let anything else get in the way of that."

His jaw hanging open, Russ looked at her in complete astonishment. The voices in his heart started screaming at him to take her in his arms and tell her that he loved her, and would spend the rest of his life with her, no matter what happened. The voices in his head raised their own voices, yelling at him that it would never work, despite what both he and she wanted.

Clenching his head in his hands, Russ wrapped his fingers around several spikes of his hair and gave them a good tug, as he strained to keep himself under control. Standing up and walking out a couple paces, he turned around and looked at the princess, who watched him with sand, longing eyes. Clenching his fists together, his hair stood on end, and in a brilliant flash of energy, he transformed himself into a super saiyan.

Aeka sat back in surprise, but she didn't run away, even though a tinge of fear entered her heart.

"Does this scare you, Aeka?" he finally asked, letting his energy fade away, the pulsing sound dying off, the moonlight returning to occupy the space his yellow energy had a moment before, but his hair remained yellow and his eyes green. "This is the other side of me that comes out when I fight. Do you feel frightened or intimidated by it? Because this is what you'd live with."

Unable to sense his outrageous power, she remained silent for a few moments, but she got to her feet and approached Russ, her expression depressed, sad, and lonely. "No," she said, standing in front of him. "It doesn't scare me. I want you, Russ, and nobody else. And it doesn't matter what you become, whether it be a golden haired warrior or a gigantic ape, you're the one for me," she said.

Russ's face pulled into surprise. "How did you know about that?" he asked, stunned.

"Huh? How did I know about what?" she asked, confused.

"How did you know that I could turn into a gigantic ape?" he asked, as he went through his mind, trying to find an instance of where or when he mentioned to anybody that he would turn into a huge ape when exposed to moonlight while he had a tail.

"What are you talking about? I said that as an analogy," she replied, still confused, but then she became surprised. "You mean that you can turn into an ape?"

"Crap," he muttered, as he was hoping to keep that a secret too, but he nodded. "Yes. Saiyans are born with a tail that allows us to transform into an ape in full moonlight. We make King Kong look like a miniature monkey after our transformation."

"You're kidding," she said, turning away. "You're trying to make me laugh, but I'm too depressed right now."

"Argh!" Russ growled to himself, shaking it off. "Aeka, please give me up," he said, moving to stand in front of her. "There are other people out there who would be better for you in comparison to me."

"Like that piece of shit Serio that my father wants me to marry?" she snapped, becoming angry. "Oh yes, I really want to love and marry an arrogant creep like that. I do not get to choose my fiancée when I'm at home. My father chooses the one best suited to the empire and sticks me with him, whether I approve of him or not. All they expect me to do is be obedient and to produce an heir to the throne. My life is a living hell there, and I do not want to go back to it. I never want to go home! I want to stay here, with you! You just don't realize how much I've fallen in love with you!" she yelled, balling up her fists and pounding on Russ's chest. "I love you, god dammit!"

After letting out her feelings and frustrations, she collapsed onto Russ's chest and cried uncontrollably, not able to bring herself to terms with her life.

"Maybe I should just commit suicide and end it all!" she yelled, slamming her fists on Russ's chest again and again. "I've got nothing to live for anymore!"

His expression changing to extreme hurt and pain, he wrapped his arms around the crying princess and held her, just as she almost lost her footing to collapse onto the ground. He held here there until she stopped crying, as he fought to hold back his own emotions.

"You son of a bitch, Russ," Ryoko snarled, ready to kill him for putting her friend through such torment. "You asshole of a man!"

"Ryoko! Calm down! He'll sense you if your energy goes too high!" Tenchi hissed, putting his hands on her shoulders, trying to hold her back. "Just wait!"

"No, god dammit!" she shot back. "I'm going to tear Russ apart if it's the last thing I do!"

"Calm down!" Tenchi snapped, still not releasing his cast iron grip on her. "Do not interfere with either of them! They'll work it out on their own!"

"Bullshit!" she swore, turning around to face Tenchi with an inferno burning in her catlike eyes. "He's had over a year to accept her and he still hasn't! What the hell is wrong with him?!"

"It's not our place to interfere! We can support them, but we can't force them to do something that one or the other doesn't want to do!"

"But why must Aeka suffer like this? It's so obvious that she is willing to do ANYTHING for him. Anything! She's so hopelessly in love with him and he still rejects her! I don't get why!" Ryoko hissed, baring her fangs. "Maybe if I beat some sense into him, he'll realize what he's missing!"

"Knock it off!" Tenchi growled, his face contorted with a deep, penetrating anger, which surprised Ryoko to the point where she calmed down almost instantly. "Just wait."

"Aeka? Do you think your sister, your parents, or any of your friends would forgive you if you did that?" Russ said, frustrated and angry. "That's the cowards way out of life. Life isn't fair, as it hasn't been with me for most of my life. I need you as my friend, Aeka, as you're the best one I've ever had," Russ said, trembling. "I'd go insane if I ever lost you or your sister."

"I have nothing to live for," she cried, resting her head on Russ's chest. "What do I have to live for? There is nobody out there who wants to love me for the real me!"

"That's not true," Russ said, closing his eyes, his heart screaming at him.

Aeka continued to cry, but she looked into Russ's face, a streak of hope in her eyes. "Who then?" she whispered.

"You have your sister to live for, and for me too. I've never had a friend like you, and your sister needs you. What do you think will happen to her once she goes home to take your place if you die? Do you wish that on poor Sasami?" Russ said, rubbing her back gently. "That isn't being fair to either her or me, or anybody else who knows you and loves you. Your family is HERE, not on Jurai," he said, looking into her amethyst eyes. "You've taken the planet Earth, this house, this place, and made it your home. Do you want to just throw it all away?"

"But like you said, my parents will eventually come to take me away from all of this," she sobbed, still not able to regain control over her emotions. "They don't care about how I feel, just about what will benefit that damned planet of Jurai!"

"Your mother and your aunt Funaho both care," Russ countered.

"But even they have to take a backseat to my father. My father's word is final, no matter what they say. They can try to influence his decision, but ultimately, what he says is absolute. If he never approves, then I have to obey him."

Taking in a deep breath through his nose, Russ released it through his mouth in a deep sigh. "But if I were with you, I could stop him?"

"Yes," she whimpered, sniffling again. Wiping her tears away with the back of her hand, her tears were quickly replaced by fresh ones. "If you were with me, there wouldn't be much he could do."

"I…" he started, but hesitated. Hanging his head in defeat, he prepared himself to say something that he swore he'd never say again. "Aeka?"

She didn't answer him, but squeezed him tighter.

"If…" he said, swallowing the huge lump in his throat. "If everything goes well tomorrow and the fight ends without casualties, I will…" he hesitated, squeezing his eyes together tightly. "I will…"

"Say it, dammit!" Ryoko whispered, squeezing her hands together in anticipation. "SAY IT!"

"I… will go out with you," he finally said, feeling faint over what he just proposed.

Letting out a quick gasp of utter surprise, Aeka raised her head to look into Russ's eyes, which had the same, lonely feel that she had. "You will?"

Grinding his teeth and telling his brain to shut up, he nodded his head. "Yes. I will be your boyfriend, if you would be my girlfriend, but only if things go okay tomorrow."

"You will?" she asked again, her face filled with hope and a renewed sense of being.

"Yes." Russ gazed into her eyes, felt her warmth, and could feel her entire body relax, releasing all of its tension in less than a second, as he could feel a wave of emotion wash over his mind, filling him with peace.

Aeka looked at him, her tears streaming anew. "You will?" she asked a third time.

Russ grinned and started chuckling, then nodded his head.

"Oh Russ!" she cried, sobbing all over again, burying her face in his chest, feeling a happiness and fulfillment that she never felt before.

"Please stop crying, Aeka," Russ begged, stroking her silky, soft hair. "You know how I feel and I know how you feel, and it may finally be time for me to move on. What's lost is lost, and I have a chance to start something fresh and new once again."

Aeka didn't answer, but continued to cry, overwhelmed at the sensation that her lifelong dream could finally be fulfilled.

"God damn, after all of that, he finally said yes," Ryoko whispered, feeling a tremendous amount of joy for her friend. "That hard headed, frosty saiyan actually does have a heart."

"Ryoko, it all depends on what happens tomorrow. If Aeka dies or he dies, this all goes away. They could be setting themselves up for the biggest heartbreak either of them will ever feel."

"Everything will be okay. Russ is the strongest warrior we've ever seen. I don't think anybody could match him, no matter what he says," Ryoko said, smiling.

Tenchi looked back toward the front of the house. "Come on, Ryoko," he whispered. "Let's go before they find us."

Ryoko nodded. "Okay."

Sneaking back to where the washer was kept, they both set about filling the machine from the basket of dirty clothes.

"My lady."

"What is it, D3?"

"The second saiyan, Zorpheus, has just entered the solar system," he reported, watching the small, white spacepod hurtle through the cosmos.

Tokimi, one of the three goddesses, turned her attention to the viewscreen. "He is Russ's friend?"

D3 cleared his throat, checking a log file that was kept from a conversation in the past. "They haven't been together for a couple years, but they didn't split up on either bad or good terms."

Tokimi closed her eyes and concentrated, trying to see into the future. After several minutes, she came to, and opened her eyes. "They still have the potential to become allies once again. If Tsunami or Washu uses them against us, it could be catastrophic."

"Yes, milady."

"This cannot be allowed to happen," she said, raising her left hand in front of her, palm upward, as she began to concentrate. A small, white ball of energy formed in her hand, and within the ball, an image of Zorpheus, sleeping in his pod, became visible. "Russ is too aware and too powerful right now to alter, but Zorpheus is in stasis, and his mind is very vulnerable. I will modify him."

"What shall you do, Lady Tokimi?" D3 asked, watching his goddess perform one of her miracles.

"I shall enhance his feelings of anger, and intensify his hatred for Russ by two orders of magnitude. He will become what everybody fears most, that being a killing machine. If all goes well, both saiyans will destroy each other."

"A brilliant idea," he praised, watching Zorpheus glow intensely for a few moments in the ball of energy, and fade to normal.

"It is done," she said, taking a deep breath. "I must rest now." And with that, she disappeared from view.

Looking back at the data he collected from Russ, they were still unable to calculate his energy level. His goddess, Tokimi, could generate a significant amount of ki, but she didn't need it. She was immortal and could manipulate whomever she pleased, aside from those with strong minds. However, against an opponent such as Russ, he could not predict an outcome.

Changing the viewscreen to look at both Washu and Sasami, he smiled upon the two other goddesses. "Sleep well, sisters of Tokimi. Soon, we shall all be re-united, and the universe that you all occupy will be eradicated."

"You were completely serious about that?" Aeka whispered from her bed, still finding his decision almost unrealistic. After so many refusals, after so many tears and so much heartbreak, he had finally come to a decision, and he finally caved in and agreed to become a couple with her.

"For the last time, yes!" Russ hissed from his bed, completely worried and sweating profusely from the stress of his choice. His head was screaming at him and had completely silenced his heart, and he began to question his decision. He knew he was going to be in for a rough ride, especially when it came to her parents, in particular, her father. "I must be insane."

Aeka giggled quietly. "I think that is the most logical choice you've made since you've been here," she countered, her mind, body, and soul, finally at peace.

"Come on," Russ whispered, fretting. "I have to get some sleep and be well rested for tomorrow. It's going to be a long day."

"Yes. I'm just so happy…" she said, but stopped. Sasami had begun tossing and turning on her bed, the little triangles on her forehead glowing intensely. "Sasami?"

Russ sat up in his bed, looking worriedly at the little princess. He could feel a strange energy coming from her, but he had felt it once before. "That's the same energy I've felt at the Startica Festival when she had a nightmare," he said, getting out of his bed and kneeling on the floor.

"Sasami, wake up!" Aeka said, shaking her sister back and forth. "Come on, Sasami!"

"Wake up," Russ encouraged, also shaking her. "Come on, Sasami! Wake up!"

Continuing to toss and turn, she began to mumble incoherent phrases to herself, and at one point, almost began shouting into the darkness.

"What is happening to her, Russ?!" Aeka said, becoming panicked.

"I don't know! Something is affecting her, but I don't know what!" he growled, still shaking the little princess back and forth.

After a few more moments, her eyes snapped open and the little symbol on her forehead faded back to normal. Sitting bolt upright in her bed, she was breathing heavily and sweating like mad, shaking like a leaf in a hurricane. A second later, several tears began running down her cheeks, her face completely blank and devoid of life.

"Sasami!" both Russ and Aeka said, putting their faces directly in front of Sasami's, trying to get her attention.

"Aeka? Russ?" she said, the tears still streaming uncontrollably. "RUSS!" Lunging forward, she grabbed Russ around the neck and caused him to fall to the floor. She landed on top of him and buried her face in his chest, crying almost like Aeka had earlier.

"What's wrong, Sasami? Please tell me!" Aeka said, trying to pry her sister off of Russ, but she had a death grip around Russ's neck. Fortunately for him, since he wasn't a normal man, he didn't suffocate from her viselike grip. It was amazing that arms so little possessed such strength.

"It's Aeka!" she cried, not letting go.

"What happened?" he asked, not having moved since he was tackled.

"I just had a dream where she died!" she cried, squeezing as hard as she could. "Zorpheus killed her, and she died!"

Aeka's jaw dropped, listening to the revelation in complete astonishment, awe, and horror. "No. That isn't possible."

"Sasami, she won't die. I promise you she won't," Russ said, holding her gently.

"It was horrible! There was blood! There was just so much blood!" she cried, shaking uncontrollably. "I don't want her to die!"

"I won't die, Sasami," Aeka said, forcing herself to be calm. "I have more sense than that."

Sniffling and trying to get herself under control, she slowly stopped crying, but she continued to shake, very afraid of the horrid nightmare she just had.

Russ stroked her hair, being extremely gentle with her as he rested his cheek on her head. Ryo-Ohki was on the floor, watching her in deep concern. "Shhh. It'll be okay, Sasami. Just relax and let it all out," he said, his voice a calm whisper.

"I'm so scared, Russ," she said, her voice still wavering, but she stopped crying. "Zorpheus is a monster! He was so powerful that even you couldn't stop him!"

"Do not worry. I was always more powerful than he was, and there is no way I'll let him touch any of you if he gets out of control," Russ said, keeping his voice deep, calm, and reassuring. "But I don't think we'll need to worry. He is just as cool, calm, and collective as I usually am, and I think everything will be okay tomorrow."

"Are you sure?" Sasami squeaked, looking up at him.

"He's sure, Sasami," Aeka responded, smiling. "There is nothing to worry about."

"Are you okay now? Do you want a glass of warm milk or something?" Russ asked, feeling the clamp around his neck be released as Sasami withdrew.

Sniffling, she tried her eyes with her t-shirt. "No, I'm okay now. Let's go back to sleep. I know you need your rest for tomorrow."

Russ sighed, and then patted her on the back. "Okay. We'll both be right here if you have another nightmare," he said, climbing back into his bed. "Goodnight, you two."

"See you in the morning," both Aeka and Sasami said in stereo, causing Russ to grin.

Russ fell asleep in about a minute, but Aeka and Sasami both took a lot longer. Aeka felt shivers go up and down her spine, as she was frightened of the revelation that Sasami had told her earlier. However, she reassured herself again and again that Russ wouldn't let anything happen to her, but Sasami continued to watch that dream again and again in her mind, growing scared again, but keeping it to herself. She was the last to fall asleep, almost an hour after Aeka had dozed off. She glanced over at Russ, and she felt a little better, thinking of all the fun times she had with him. But something kept nagging her in the back of her mind about Zorpheus. There was just something weird about that dream, as Zorpheus was far, far meaner than Russ had ever described him. She knew something was wrong, but she didn't know what. Finally closing her eyes, she forced herself to go into slumber, continuing to worry about tomorrow.

The day of reckoning finally arrived, as the light of day brightened the gray sky, which was overcast and gloomy. Birds were chirping, the temperature was pleasant, and the air smelled of rain, even though the ground was still dry. A light breeze ruffled the leaves and moved the blinds in Russ's room around, however, the saiyan remained asleep, and it was after nine in the morning.

Both Sasami and Aeka were awake, laying quietly in their futons, not wanting to get up. Both princesses had an extremely rough night of very light slumber, as they woke up multiple times, a cause of their worry and concern. Still groggy with sleep, neither wanted to get up, but they lay there, unable to doze off.

"You awake, Aeka?" Sasami whispered, rolling onto her side to face her sister.

Rolling her head over to Sasami, she smiled and nodded. "Yeah," she whispered back.

"It's past nine. Do you think we should get Russ up?" she asked, keeping her voice very low.

Aeka shook her head, closing her eyes, and slowly reopening them. "No. Let him get up on his own. He needs all the sleep he can get. Besides, I want to sleep a little longer too."

Glaring at Aeka, Sasami frowned. "You're getting lazy," she scolded, causing Aeka to grin.

"So what," she replied, still grinning. "There isn't a rule here that we have to be up at a certain time. Besides, we had a rough night and I could use another hour or two of sleep." Grinning a little wider, she giggled quietly. "You could use the extra sleep too."

Now smiling, Sasami closed her eyes. "Yeah, you're right."

Both princesses fell back into a light slumber, trying to make up for the lack of rest from the night before. Russ never stirred or moved from his sprawled position on the bed.

"Good morning, Akaki," Washu said, standing at one of her lab tables, working on an experiment. She stopped a moment and looked at the viewscreen, smiling widely.

"Mother. Do you know what TIME it is?" he growled, as his face, hair, and visage looked like something that would've crawled out of Hell itself.

"It's morning, according to standard time on your planet," she responded, grinning. "It's nice that both Earth and Bikinawa have the same axial rotational speed, and it's even better that you live almost in the same time zone."

"Mother. I did not go to bed until after three in the morning. It is now nine. I am still very sleepy and I have today off, so I planned on catching up on a lot of Z's I missed out on," he muttered, glaring at his mother through the telecommunication channel. "I'm going back to sleep for another couple hours."

Washu grinned. "You're lazy."

"I am not lazy!" he shot back, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes, mumbling incoherent phrases to himself. "I'm just sleepy."

"Then go to bed earlier," Washu returned.

"Says the one who pulls all-nighters routinely."

Letting out an exasperated sigh, Washu set back to work, soldering several wires to a multi-layered circuit board on her latest invention. "What time do you usually get up anyway?"

"This is the earliest you've called me, mom. I usually get up around eleven or so," he said, then let out a huge yawn.

"Eleven?! You sleep your entire morning away?" she asked, surprised.

"Well duh. I work the late shift at my job, so I sleep almost the entire morning away. On weekends or on other days when I don't have to go in, I sleep until almost one."

Washu frowned at him, shaking her head. "Well, you should get up in the morning instead of wasting it. It's a good time to get things done around the house."

"Feh. I really don't care at this point," he growled, still very tired. "Call me back later when I'm more awake, AFTER I get more sleep," he said, laying back down, burying his face in his pillow.

"One water sprite, coming up!" Washu taunted, holding her hands on her hips, wearing a huge grin.

"Bite me," he mumbled, trying to get comfortable again.

Washu's jaw dropped, as she was completely stunned that he didn't even seem to care. "Excuse me?" she asked, unsure if she heard him right.

"Go away. Sleeping."

It wasn't often that she got a surprise, but Akaki had given her one of the biggest shocks of the week. Still unable to believe what she heard, she continued to look at the image of her son, trying to fall back to sleep in his bed.

"See you in a little bit, mom," he said, rolling over and turning off the communicator, leaving a baffled Washu staring at a now blank computer screen.

"Now THAT was unexpected," she said to herself. "Oh well. I'll bother him later." Hearing her stomach croak, she put her invention aside and made her way out of her lab. Upon entering the living room, she heard a knock on the front door. Sliding it open, it revealed both Kiyone and Mihoshi, both smiling and in wonderful spirits.

"Hi Washu!" Mihoshi greeted in her usual ditz-like way. "We're here!"

"Yes you are," Washu returned, grinning. "Hey, Kiyone."

"Hello," she said, smiling. Handing over a bag she was carrying, she stepped inside after Washu moved out of the way. "These are for everybody," she explained.

"Thank you very much," Washu said, peeking into the bag of goodies. "What did you bring us?"

"Sweets!" Mihoshi said, giggling. "There was never enough here, so Kiyone and I decided to give you some. They're very good."

Washu grinned. "And very fattening, no doubt. But anyway, come on in and have a seat. I was just about to make me some breakfast. Do you girls want anything?"

Kiyone sat down at the table and sighed, relaxing. "Some tea would be nice, please."

"And I want tea too," Mihoshi chimed in, sitting next to her partner. "I'm so thirsty!"

"Tea, coming right up," Washu sang, going into the kitchen. "So girls, how are things going? It looks like you're enjoying the weather."

Kiyone, dressed in a light blue t-shirt, knee-length jeans shorts, and canvas shoes, took in a deep breath, tossing her head from side to side, letting her long, green hair flap back and forth. "Yeah. It feels really nice today. We have today off, so we're enjoying ourselves."

Mihoshi was dressed a little more risqué, with a loose fitting tank top and shorts that were extremely short, with a pair of sandals. It almost looked as if her bust would spill over the top of her shirt. "Yeah, we haven't had much time to do anything. Even though we are getting funding from the Galaxy Police, they seem to make us work a lot more than we used to."

"I'm not surprised. They usually do that to offset the added drain on their budget," Washu explained, heating up the water on the stove. "But how busy can it be up there anyway?"

"It's not busy," Kiyone said, looking at Washu through the window in the wall. "A lot of times, we wind up doing nothing the whole day. We sit and play games, watch TV, or play with the radio, talking with a few of the other officers who don't do much. It's boring, but at least it is an easy job most of the time. But there was a person last week who led us on a chase, but we caught the perpetrator easily enough."

Washu smiled. "Kiyone always gets her man!" she said, pouring the hot water over the tea strainer, letting the green liquid pour into the cups.

"Actually, it was a woman this time," Mihoshi explained. "It was a lot of fun!"

Glaring at her partner, but letting it go, Kiyone smiled. "Well, it was the most excitement we've had in a very long time. It was stupid though, since the lady didn't have any kind of record previously. Sometimes the stupidity of people astounds me."

Holding back a rude comment she could've made about her partner, Washu just continued to smile as she brought the tea out to the girls. "Here you go," she said, sliding the cups over, then returning to the kitchen. "I still have to get something to eat."

"We already had breakfast," Kiyone said.

"Yeah, the usual instant miso soup and ramen noodles," Mihoshi described, grinning. "Nobody makes instant food better than Kiyone!"

Groaning quietly, Kiyone shook her head. "Must you always say how cheaply we live?"

"Oh, but Kiyone! There's nothing to be embarrassed about. Instant food tastes good!" she said, cheerily, smiling widely.

"Good morning, Kiyone and Mihoshi," Tenchi said, coming down the stairs, followed by Ryoko.

"Hey! How are you?" Kiyone said, turning around to see him. Mihoshi giggled and waved.

"We're doing really well, thanks," Tenchi said, reaching the bottom step, and then made his way over to the table, sitting down in his usual spot. Ryoko sat next to him, looking happy and relaxed.

"You two seem to be in a good mood," Kiyone observed. "Something happen last night or this morning?"

"Actually, yes. We had a nice time last night, as it was the first time we've gone out to do anything in about a month. Poor Tenchi is always so busy that he has a hard time making time for us to do things, but it was very nice," Ryoko said, rubbing against him.

"It's still so amazing that you two are getting married!" Mihoshi exclaimed, blushing. "I can't wait until I find the man of my dreams."

"Heaven forbid if he's anything like you, Mihoshi," Kiyone said, patting her on the shoulder. "I don't think the Earth is big enough for someone who's just like you."

"Hey! I'm not all that bad!" Mihoshi whined, looking pitiful, her blue eyes sparkling. "I haven't broken anything in at least two days!"

"A personal record, I might add," Kiyone argued. "It wouldn't be problematic if the person you find isn't as clumsy or prone to breaking things as you."

"Oh, don't be so hard on her," Washu interjected from the kitchen. "I'm sure she'll find someone wonderful, just like Tenchi has." Returning from the kitchen with toast, rice, and miso soup, she set her stuff down on the table and began to devour the food.

Smiling, Tenchi nodded. "Everybody has a match for him or her in this universe," he agreed.

"I don't know, Tenchi. Another Mihoshi just make this universe collapse in on itself. Remember how Mihoshi almost caused that from inside Washu's lab about a month ago?" Ryoko said, causing a bunch of glares to surface around the table. "Well, it's true!"

Shaking her head and giggling, Mihoshi started blushing. "Well anyway, I really hope I find someone soon. Speaking of which, where are Russ, Aeka, and Sasami?"

"They're all still asleep," Washu said, looking at the landing on the second floor.

Tenchi and Ryoko both looked surprised. "Wow. I've never known Sasami to sleep past nine before. She's usually up and making breakfast by the time we come down here."

"Well," Washu began. "It's because of what is supposed to happen later today. Russ has to be fully rested for it."

"Spit it out, mother. Quit building suspense," Ryoko snapped, glaring at her mother.

Washu looked up at her, her face cold, emotionless, and unwavering. "Zorpheus will arrive today. In fact, in about three hours."

Tenchi, Ryoko, Kiyone, and Mihoshi all stopped what they were doing and looked at the scientist in a mix of surprise and terror. However, Washu resumed eating, as if it were old news.

"He's supposed to be here, TODAY?" Ryoko said, becoming very nervous. "Why didn't you say something to us yesterday!?"

"How would it have changed things?" her mom returned. "We cannot stop him from coming here. Russ is going to have to deal with him when he arrives, and he wants to be at his maximum when it comes time to crunch."

"You still should've told us about this, Washu!" Tenchi snapped, his face a large frown. "This is very important!"

"It's important to Russ, not to the rest of us. He has repeatedly told us that we will not be involved in their dispute. All we have to do is stay away from them when they arrive, and leave them alone once they get into the separate dimension," Washu explained, sipping her miso soup. "They're far beyond our wildest dreams, and the smartest thing to do is to stay out of their business."

"Maybe we shouldn't have come today," Kiyone said, looking very nervous. "But it is our job to make sure the citizens of this planet are safe from harm."

"Are you insane, Kiyone?" Mihoshi said, looking absolutely petrified. "You saw what Russ could do! What do you expect to do against another person just like him? Arrest him?"

Tucking her hands in her lap, Kiyone looked at the table and remained quiet.

"Do Aeka and Sasami know?" Tenchi asked, his face downcast.

Washu nodded her head. "Yes. Russ told Sasami, and Sasami told Aeka and myself. I scanned the area around the solar system and I did detect the spacepod that is carrying Zorpheus." Summoning her laptop once more, she rescanned the solar system, using the same parameters from the day before. A single blip appeared on the screen. "He's currently passing Jupiter. At his current rate of travel, he will enter Earth's atmosphere in about three hours. Exact time of arrival will be twelve thirty seven."

"How are they taking it?" Ryoko asked, worried.

"They're all sleeping together. Both Aeka and Sasami are deathly afraid of losing him, and they've stuck to him like glue yesterday and even slept together overnight," Washu revealed, eating a clump of rice and then washing it down with soup. "I really hope everything goes okay today. I have a lot of confidence in Russ, but even he seems unsure of himself over this one."

Mihoshi smiled. "I think he'll be just fine. I mean, look how much he's trained while he's been here!" she said, cheerily.

Her happy mood wasn't contagious, and everybody continued to sit in silence, until they heard some thumping from upstairs. "Sounds like he's woken up," Kiyone said, quietly.

Hearing the bedroom door slide open and shut again, they heard the sound of heavy footsteps coming toward the living room. Everybody looked toward the stairway and waited. A moment later, Russ started walking down the steps, his hair the usual mess, still dressed in the clothes from yesterday. He didn't even notice everybody sitting at the table until he turned toward the bathroom. Looking up at the family, he smiled and nodded his head.

"Good morning, everyone!" he said, cheerily. "How is everybody on this fine morning?"

Five thumps greeted his ears as everybody facefaulted to the floor, completely stunned that he was so happy, cheery, and easy going this morning. They were figuring on seeing him completely stressed out.

"Um, did I say something wrong?" he asked, scratching his head.

"How can you be so relaxed?" Ryoko asked, overcoming her surprise. "Zorpheus is supposed to come today!"

Russ looked over at Washu, who returned a guilty look. "I take it our little professor has told you of our impending doom?" he asked, snickering.

Tenchi's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets that he was being so casual about it. "What is with you? How come you're in such a good mood?"

"Why not? In a few hours, I'm going to be involved in the 'butt kick-o-rama.' I may as well be in a good mood now because I'm going to probably be in a foul mood later. Oh, hi Kiyone and Mihoshi. How are you two doing?" he asked, taking notice to the other two women seated at the table.

"We're fine," Kiyone responded, trying to smile.

"Good. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to take a shower," he said, heading over to the bathroom. He slid open the door, which led to the women's bath once again. After shutting it, he reopened it to the men's bath. Turning around for a moment, he looked at the five still seated at the table, whom were all staring at him. "Washu, is there a reason that half the time when I open the door that it goes to the women's bath?"

"Ask Aeka about that one," she said, grinning.

Russ nodded his head. "I thought so," he said, disappearing into the bath.

"What the heck just happened?" Ryoko asked, still trying to figure out Russ's charade. "He didn't look nervous at all!"

"It probably has to do with all that meditating he's done over the past week," Tenchi described. "He's mentally prepared for the confrontation, so he's not letting it bother him until the time comes."

"Still, that was creepy," Kiyone said, still looking at the bathroom door. "I wonder if he's gone beyond nervous and has just gone crazy from the stress."

"No, he was completely calm, cool, and collective. He's back to his normal self for the time being," Washu confirmed, finishing off the last of her food. "He may feel that this could be his last day on Earth and he's just trying to live it up."

"I don't know," Tenchi said, resting his head in his hands. "I'm nervous as heck and I'm not the one who will be fighting."

Mihoshi giggled. "I think he's happy to see Zorpheus again!"

The other four people at the table stopped to look at her, causing her to blush.

"Well, he hasn't seen him in a long time," she said, becoming withdrawn.

"That's true," Ryoko said. "The thing is, Russ has described him as being very similar to him in terms of his calm and collectiveness, but he's still worried about what could happen if Zorpheus blows his stack. I'm really worried too."

"There's really nothing to worry about," Washu said, sitting back on her hands. "Russ will take care of everything. The room is complete and will be sealed once they get into it, and anything that goes on in there will not affect this world. We can even broadcast it to the rest of the universe if we wanted."

"If they fight, what are we going to do to heal their injuries?" Kiyone asked.

"The regeneration tank that Russ provided plans for is complete. It'll heal a man of his size in about a half hour. It's really an incredible piece of medical technology. It works by…"

"I don't care how it works, as long as it heals him quickly," a voice above them said.

Everybody looked up to see Aeka standing there, dressed in her traditional blue and purple kimono. Regally making her way down the stairs, she held herself high and proud. "Besides, he probably won't need it."

"Good morning, Aeka," Tenchi greeted. "How do you feel this morning?"

She looked at the group and tried to smile, but failed. "I've never been so scared of anything in my life," she responded.

"I think that goes for everyone at this table," Washu said, looking at everybody. "Anyway, I have a few things I must take care of in my lab. I'll be out around twelve thirty to escort both Russ and Zorpheus into the battle chamber," she said, making her way to her lab, opening the door and turning to look at the group again. "But do not worry. Everything should be fine," she reassured, stepping through the portal and closing the door behind her.

Aeka took her usual seat at the table, next to Tenchi. Everybody remained quiet and tried to not look at the princess, but she let out so many little nervous habits that they couldn't help but glance at her. She straightened her kimono, smoothed her hair, picked at something under one of her nails, continually shifted positions, and then repeated the whole process again and again. She could not sit still.

"Aeka, you need to relax," Mihoshi said, cheerily, causing her to jump.

About to explode on her, Aeka bit her tongue and held herself back. "I'm sorry, everyone. I'm just really worried for Russ."

A moment later, Sasami bounded down the stairs in a pair of coveralls, a pink undershirt, and canvas shoes. She had on multiple, small string bracelets that went around her right wrist, and she looked drop-dead adorable. Her freckles were very pronounced, and she looked exactly like a little farmer girl. She smiled when she saw everybody at the table.

"Hi Kiyone and Mihoshi!" she said, skipping over and hugging them both. "It's very nice to see you again."

"Hi, Princess Sasami," Kiyone greeted, smiling warmly. "It's always nice to see you."

Mihoshi hugged her tightly. "I brought a bunch of sweets for you guys to eat later," she whispered to her, who started giggling.

"Has everybody eaten? Can I get anybody anything?" she asked, walking over to the kitchen door, and then turned around.

"I'm fine," both Kiyone and Mihoshi said in stereo, and everybody else just shook his or her heads.

Turning around, she went into the kitchen to get herself a glass of milk.

"I wonder what Zorpheus looks like?" Aeka muttered to herself, still staring at the empty table in front of her.

"Russ says he looks very similar to him, but different too," Tenchi recalled, scratching his head. But we'll see for sure later today. I better go tell grandpa." Getting up from the table, he moved over to the glass door, being followed by Ryoko. "I'll be back in about ten minutes."

"Okay," Kiyone said, turning her attention back to the crown princess. "Anyway, I don't think you need to worry all that much. Russ is unlike anybody I've ever seen. I find it hard to believe that someone else exists that is exactly like him."

Aeka shook her head. "But he does exist, and he's coming here," she answered, her face downcast and worried.

"You're going to wrinkle up like an old maid," Mihoshi said, happily. "You shouldn't worry."

About to explode, Aeka's face became a mask of fury and rage. "I am NOT an old maid!" she shouted, slamming her fist down on the table.

"Aeka, please calm down," Kiyone said, trying to head off the carnage and to protect her partner. "She didn't mean it that way. She just means that you should relax."

"How can I relax when a planet destroyer is coming here?!" she retorted, her knuckles becoming white from the intense pressure.

Kiyone stopped and looked at her, the worry becoming very apparent on her face. "Russ will stop him if it is the last thing he does."

"I just hope that ISN'T the last thing he does," she said, the anger and rage suddenly gone, replaced by a mentality of a young child who was scared of something horrible.

Sasami came out of the kitchen, holding her milk. "Come on, Aeka. Have a little faith in Russ."

Looking at her sister, she nodded her head. "You're right of course, Sasami, but it is so hard to not be worried about him."

"I know. Let's just forget about it for now and wait," she suggested, sitting down next to her sister. "Everything will work out in the end, you'll see."

Aeka sighed. "You make it sound so simple, Sasami. You'll realize what it's like once you get older," she said, resting her chin in the palm of her hand, looking outside at the scenery.

Standing outside by the lake, Russ stood fast, patiently awaiting Zorpheus's arrival. He had sensed him almost a half hour ago, and he knew he'd head straight for the highest power level on the planet, which would be him. Looking toward the sky, he could feel Zorpheus's presence get stronger each and every second, and it made him feel something that he hadn't felt in a long time. Swallowing a growing lump in his throat, his hands began to shake, both in anticipation and excitement.

Looking back toward the house, the entire family, not realizing that Russ was actually waiting for Zorpheus, all remained inside, talking with each other and relaxing, as if they had forgotten that danger was heading straight for them. Sighing to himself, he listened hard, waiting for the sound of Zorpheus's screaming spacepod, as it would hurtle toward the ground and crash-land. Zorpheus was never one to be discrete.

It didn't take long, and the sound of the spaceship became apparent. Sounding like a thousand nails being drawn over a chalkboard, it was loud, deafening, and made the skin crawl. A long, red streak drew a line from the horizon, straight to the point of origin. Russ watched it with a mix of excitement, worry, anxiety, and hope. It has been nearly two years since he saw Zorpheus last, and he sincerely hoped this reunion would be good.

Watching the pod make its final run, it finally crash-landed, right in the lake. A huge tidal wave erupted from the point of impact, splashing water everywhere and making it rain for a moment. The loud noise brought the whole family out of the house, as the noise and impact was earthshaking.

"What on Earth was that?" Aeka yelled, running over to where Russ was standing.

"Get back!" he shouted, turning toward the oncoming group. "Get away from here! NOW!"

Stopping their advance, they slowly began to backtrack toward the house. Everybody went back, except for Aeka.

"I told you to get back," Russ snarled, eyeing her. "I'm not kidding."

"But…"  
"NO BUTS!" he yelled, thrusting his finger toward the far end of the house, where the rest of the family had gathered. "Get back there and stay there until we're escorted to the room!"

Caught completely off guard by his sternness and anger, she slowly backpedaled to the house, never taking her eyes off of him.

Russ turned back toward the lake, watching the surface of the water calm down. A moment later, a huge rush of bubbles broke the water's surface, causing Russ to grin. He knew that Zorpheus opened the hatch while he was underwater and it made him feel a little better. Not only that, but he himself had done that once before.

Sensing a huge energy over his head, Russ looked toward the sky and saw his opponent floating in mid-air, his blue cape flapping in the wind, his black hair being stirred about, and the light of day being reflected off of his cybernetic arm. Quickly returning to the ground, he stood about twenty feet from where Russ was, his visage contorted with disgust and anger, his red eyes burning with an inferno of hate.

"Long time, no see, Zorpheus," Russ greeted, his green karate gi flapping lazily in the light breeze. What brings you here, as if I didn't know?"

"I'm after the Dragonballs, of course. But right now, I'd just like to know which of you losers I'm going to slaughter for putting that damn lake there," he growled, folding his arms over his chest.

Russ grinned. "That lake was always there. You never could pilot a ship, even if your life depended on it. I wouldn't even trust you with a Tie Fighter."

"Kiss my ass. It's never my fault. It's always the stupid navigation computer screwing up," he snapped. "You should know that, since you routinely crashed through houses!"

"Humph. It's never your fault is it," Russ sneered, glaring at him.

"That's Zorpheus?" Ryoko whispered, looking at him from around the corner of the house. "He looks almost identical to Russ!"

"You're not kidding. Look how huge his arms are," Tenchi said, listening carefully. "I really hope Russ knows what he's doing."

"Don't worry. Russ will be fine," Aeka said, putting her best foot forward. "There is nothing that he can't do."

"But still, that guy is going to be one heck of a challenge for Russ, and besides, he doesn't look exactly happy to see him," Tenchi observed, looking at Zorpheus's scowl. "I'd be afraid if I were in Russ's shoes."

"Shhh! I can't hear," Washu hissed, straining to listen in on their conversation.

"Who're they?" Zorpheus asked, sensing the group on the other side of the house.

"Leave them alone," Russ muttered.

"Ain't that cute. Letting the weaklings cower on the other side of the house, like that flimsy piece of trash will protect them. Feh. I don't see why there has to be any trouble. Just give me the Dragonballs and maybe I'll only maim you," Zorpheus taunted, letting an evil grin slip onto his lips.

Russ's expression became neutral, but his pride was wounded. "You'd like that, wouldn't you? That's too bad though. If you want to talk about this further, I have a place where we can continue this discussion. Follow me," he said, turning toward the house. Waving with his hand, Washu came out from behind the house and went inside.

"Yeah right. And I'm supposed to just waltz over to where you want me so you can blow me up with a bunch of ki balls that you placed before I got here? No thanks," he answered, not having moved an inch.

Russ turned around and glared at him. "I'm not like you. I don't play dirty, I'm not as sneaky, dishonorable, or as pinheaded as you. You want the Dragonballs? Follow me."

"No. You give them to me now, assmaster. Or I might decide to make a lunar landscape out of this lovely Japanese shrine right here and now!" he growled, giving no indication that he intended on following through on Russ's plan.

Squeezing his hands into fists, he thought a moment. *This isn't like him at all,* Russ throught to himself. *Most of the time he'd just go through with it, but something is very different about him this time.*

"That would be a very bad idea, especially if you want to convince me to give you the Dragonballs. You should know me well enough to know that I don't respond well to threats," Russ returned, giving him his usual poker face, trying to hide his emotions.

Zorpheus turned away slightly, looking at the corner of the house where the family was hiding and eavesdropping. "How do I know you even have them? You seem pretty eager to have me follow you around like some kind of lap dog when all you need to do is get your sorry ass in there and come out with my Dragonballs. You're not exactly in the position to make conditions, you know."

Russ smirked, folding his arms behind his back. "Actually, I am. I'm holding what you want, and if you want them, you'll do as I say. I've got the bargaining chip here, not you. If you don't want them, I'll get rid of them for you."

Zorpheus's face contorted to an absolute mask of rage. "Destroy them and I'll make sure that I'll turn this entire pathetic little country into guacamole. No, I've got a better idea. I'll turn this entire planet into rubble!"

Feeling surprise but hiding it well, Russ didn't move. "If you want them, defeat me for them. There is a place where we can fight unobstructed," he said, grinning. "I'm not turning my home into what you so quaintly call, 'A lunar landscape,' and destroy this place. Not even you used to be that cold."

Calming down almost instantly, he smirked, enjoying himself. "THIS is the home you decided to vacation to? This place is a dump! I thought you had better taste! This is low, even for you!"

His face becoming a disgusted frown, Russ then glared at Zorpheus. "Says the one who goes to titty bars and slum hoses to get drunk and laid."

"This coming from a man who has no sex drive at all!" he snarled, clenching his real hand into a fist. A soft, blue glow surrounded his hand, a testament to the amount of energy gathering there.

Drawing a breath through his teeth in a hiss, Russ remembered that the family was very close by, eavesdropping on the two of them. "I've just about had enough of this. If you want those damned balls, follow me. If you don't, then leave. I've got no time to screw with some hotheaded former friend who now gets pissed at every little thing!" Clenching his own fists at his sides, he raised his own energy to counter the gathering blast in Zorpheus's hand.

The glow disappearing, Zorpheus tossed his hand into the air like some stuck up girl who just brushed off another guy. "Fine then. I don't care if you choose the battleground. I just want to kick your ass and get it over with. It's part of the reason I came here anyway."

"You're still on dream street, as always," Russ muttered, turning back toward the house, keeping all of his senses locked on Zorpheus, making absolutely certain that he wasn't going to plant a ki blast into his back before they got to the house.

Sliding back the glass door, Russ entered then turned around, letting Zorpheus into the living room. He looked around, his face still a scowl.

"This place could give Martha Stewart a heart attack. Who's the decorator, the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles?" he sneered, poking one of the chairs with his real finger.

Russ cracked a slight grin, trying to keep from laughing at Zorpheus's sarcastic sense of humor. Taking notice at a bit of movement in his peripheral vision, he glanced at the rest of the family coming around the front of the house, heading for the door. Feeling his heart beat a little faster, he hoped that Zorpheus wouldn't do anything violent.

Washu was standing next to her lab door, and she opened it, gesturing for the two super saiyans to enter. Russ went in first, followed by Zorpheus, and Washu followed them in. A moment later, the rest of the family filed into her lab, keeping their distance and being very quiet, hoping that he wouldn't do anything.

Turning around from the noises behind him, Zorpheus looked at the rest of the family. Noticing the purple haired princess, he flashed her a lopsided grin. "And who're you supposed to be? The housekeeper? You can keep my house anytime you want to, if you know what I mean," he said, tucking his thumbs into the lower part of his body armor, shifting them up and down. He started snickering at seeing her look of surprise, turning back to follow Russ to their battlegrounds.

Aeka became so enraged that her face turned red and a vein protruded from her forehead, after he turned around, letting his words sink into her mind. Balling up her fist and drawing it back to clobber him, Ryoko grabbed her from behind, holding her tightly, but Aeka had become much stronger than she used to be, and it was very difficult to contain the princess's rage. Ryoko shook her head back and forth like crazy, giving her an emphatic 'NO WAY,' Aeka calmed down enough to stop trying to hit him, but she still seethed at his rude comment.

Out of sight, Zorpheus grinned, knowing what Aeka was trying to do. He loved to tease other women from time to time, and she WAS very beautiful. Even the blue haired woman was gorgeous. In fact, all the women who followed them into the lab, including the lab attendant herself, were good looking. Wondering how Russ fell into a household of women, he scratched his head, but kept quiet. What a waste of beautiful flesh. He knows what HE would've done.

Making their way around the lab, squeezing between computer units, shelves of test tubes, much larger glass tanks, rows and rows of books, and various other equipment that Washu kept in her lab, Zorpheus couldn't help but marvel at everything that was in the lab.

"Now THIS place has potential. Add a fridge, a comfy couch, maybe a few Borg alcoves in the corner for effect and this would be a whole lot better place to live than that old shack we just walked through," he commented, temporarily forgetting about why he was in there.

Upon hearing his comments, a vein in Washu's head began thumping as she quietly ground her teeth, burying her pride, knowing better than to anger someone that was far more powerful than she could handle, even with all her lab equipment at her disposal.

After nearly a minute of walking, Russ turned around and faced the group, but focused his attention only on Zorpheus. "Our destination is here," he said, reaching out into space. However, a moment later, a door appeared out of nowhere, which Russ opened, revealing a bright, cheery place, which was a complete contrast to the rest of the lab. Walking through it, he turned around and waited for Zorpheus.

Glancing over his shoulder, then turning to face the group, Zorpheus bowed, his cape flowing smoothly around him. "Don't worry, folks. I won't be long, and I'll bring back some raw meat for your dinner as well," he said, his red eyes reflecting the light from the adjacent room.

Looking at him in horror, Aeka stepped forward, getting ready to tear him apart. "Don't you dare hurt him!" she shrilled, glaring at him with her own amethyst eyes. "If you do, I'll…"

"You'll do what, pray tell?" Zorpheus interrupted, grinning.

Continuing to glare at him, she remained silent and didn't move, and the rest of the family looked at the two of them nervously.

Flashing her his most charming smile, Zorpheus turned to step through the door. "Oh yeah, she digs me," he said, and then laughed cruelly, mocking her.

Lunging at him again, Aeka looked like the Tasmanian devil, and sounded almost as coherent. Tenchi grabbed her from behind, doing his best to restrain her, as she screamed various insults and obscenities at his retreating form, not realizing that Sasami and everybody else was nearby.

Russ's fists were clenched tightly enough to crush a piece of steel, but he held his tongue and watched Washu slam the door behind Zorpheus, and saw it disappear.

"I can't believe the nerve of that guy!" Aeka yelled, still seething at Zorpheus. "I hope Russ tears him apart!"

"Aeka! Are you nuts? That guy could've turned you into vapor had he wanted to, and there would've been nothing we could've done about it!" Washu yelled, getting into the princess's face. "Calm down now, or you can leave!"

Falling silent, but still breathing heavily, Aeka's face returned to its normal color after a few moments as she forced herself to cool off. Sasami rested her hand on Aeka's arm and she calmed down further, finally getting herself to relax.

Tenchi and Ryoko looked at each other for a moment, wondering what to do about Aeka. She had become far stronger than she used to be, as they could tell when they tried to hold her back. If she lost her temper again, they thought about what they could do to hold her back. Maybe having her talk to her mother or something would keep her mind off of trying to kill someone.

"Aeka?" Tenchi began, following Washu over to the viewing room.

Turning around, she looked very upset and distressed. "Yes?"

"Maybe we should contact both Tom and your mom and broadcast the battle to them. You can talk with them too, if you wish."

"We should at least contact Tom," Ryoko said, resting her hand on Aeka's tense shoulder. "He is Russ's friend and I'm sure he'd want to see him after the fight."

Aeka nodded. "Please do so. Contact both my mother and Tom and offer to broadcast the battle to the two of them, and put me in direct contact with my mother."

"I'll do that once we get into the observation room," Washu said, entering a part of her lab that looked like a big sphere, about twenty feet in diameter. The floor was flat, but the rest of the room was round, complete with yellow gridlines not unlike the holodeck onboard Tom's Star Destroyer.

"This place will give us a holographic representation of what will be going on in the other dimension," Washu explained, summoning her computer and keying in several commands. The air around everybody shimmered, and then focused in the middle of the field. They were standing about five feet behind Russ, and about twenty-five feet from Zorpheus. They could both see and hear everything that went on in there, but they couldn't feel anything like the wind or the ground. "The volume will be reduced once the battle begins," she explained further.

Aeka ran up to Russ and tried to grab him, but she passed right through him as if he were a ghost. Regaining her footing, she looked at him in a mix of awe, hope, and fear. It was the second time she saw him look the way he did, and that look of his frightened her. It was the same look he had when he fought against Kain, and mopped the floor with him. However, this opponent of his was going to be a far greater challenge.

Slowly making her way over to Zorpheus, she stopped about a foot away from him, looking him up and down, hate burning within her. The rest of the family followed, getting a closer look of him too.

Neither saiyan had said anything or even moved up to this point, as they were just staring each other down, waiting for one or the other to make the first move.

"This is amazing," Tenchi said, walking around Zorpheus, trying to poke him. Each time his finger went into the hologram, the image pixilated around his finger until he removed it. "It's almost like I'm actually standing next to him. Look at that bionic arm of his," he said, admiring the cables that were attached to it.

"That's really a sad piece of workmanship," Washu said, also checking out Zorpheus's arm. "I could make something much better looking, stronger, and more able than this piece of garbage."

"I wouldn't do him ANY favors," Aeka growled, her eyes trying to burn holes into the hologram. "Russ is going to pound you into the ground!" she yelled, getting into Zorpheus's face.

"Aeka! That's enough," Washu said, staring at the princess. "He can't hear or see you."

"I really hope Russ can beat him," Kiyone said, looking concerned. "Zorpheus has just about the same amount of muscle mass as he does."

Everybody became silent, watching and waiting for the two saiyans to get busy.

The battlegrounds were identical to the place where they just were, minus the house and shrine. The lake was still there, the trees were all here, but the place was uninhabited. No buildings, no nothing. There weren't even any birds or other wildlife there. It was just a clear blue sky, a light breeze, and dead silence. The sunlight was bright and intense, and the air temperature inside the room was at a pleasant seventy-four degrees.

"So this is your digital playground, eh? Where are the swing sets?" he asked, looking around.

Russ glared at him. "Stuff it, wise guy. This place is real, but in a different dimension."

Pointing at his eye that had a scar running over it, he grinned. "The eye implant pretty much tells me that this entire environment is hardly more than Astroturf."

Thinking a moment, Russ started chuckling. "Then you need to have it checked. You're becoming more and more like Darth Vader every time I see you."

"Although I can't say that I'm your father, I can still kick your whiny farmboy ass," he said, throwing off his cape and crouching into a defensive stance.

"The only asskicking that will be done here is by yours truly," he shot back, putting his fists out in front of himself, preparing to fight, letting his grin fade back into his blank stare.

"When the devil turns the A/C on in Hell, maybe! In case you never noticed it when we last split ways, I was far more powerful than you, and on top of that, I'm willing to bet a million that I still am."

"You're full of it," he returned, suddenly feeling a tinge of fear, but he quickly buried it. "You and I were almost always equal. Nothing has changed. I knew you were training and I have been too," he said, relaxing a little. "It's a shame you set your mind on immortality. It's the dumbest obsession that you've ever come up with."

Zorpheus let out an emphatic yawn, enhancing it by waving his hand in front of his mouth. "Your idealism about mortality is soooooooo trite. Boundaries were meant to be broken, and who better to do it than I? Death is just another enemy to be defeated, and the Dragonballs will give me the power to do it."

Cracking a slight grin, Russ kept himself under control. "That's what you think."

Narrowing his eyes, Zorpheus's visage changed to a cold, hard stare. "You're up to something. Spit it out."

"Since we're behind closed doors and locked away, I may as well spill the beans. I found the Dragonballs and did something to them that you're not going to be happy about," Russ said, drawing a curious, but angry look from his opponent.

"I grow tired of your jabbering. You better say what you did to them while you still have a working jawbone to talk with," he growled.

Becoming concerned, Russ scratched his head. "What's wrong with you anyway? You've become a major jackass since the last time I saw you. What's going on with you? Why the impatience? I at least thought you'd be more cool, calm, and cooperative like you used to be."

"Hello? Anybody home? I'm not going to waste my time by answering your stupid questions. You are answering mine. Now here's all you have to tell me, and I'll spell it out for you. What. Did. You. Do. To. The. Dragon. Balls?"

Sighing to himself, Russ folded his arms over his chest, drawing himself up to his full height. "You may as well kiss your dreams of immortality goodbye. The Dragonballs cannot grant that anymore. Not since I modified them."

His eyes becoming an inferno, his hair rising slightly from his anger, his eyes bored straight into Russ's. "You did what?" he said, his voice silent and full of deadly intent.

Looking back at him, Russ cocked his head to the side. "Do I need to spell it out for you, stupid? The Dragon can NOT grant immortality anymore. I banished that ability. And you can forget about wishing for him to regain it too, since I made sure that wouldn't happen. You lose, Zorpheus," he said, triumphantly.

Zorpheus's eyes went to the land in front of him, his teeth clenched together with his veins bulging out of his forehead. His arms went slack and dangled at his sides, but his fists were balled up into fists so tight that crimson began to drip from his gloves and fall to the ground.

"Sorry. Cheating destiny and fate is something that I don't dare do, or let anybody else play with. It is not right and shouldn't ever be done. Immortality is an evil thing. Frieza wanted it. Garlic Junior wanted it. Even Cell wanted it. Every single villain that ever existed wanted it, and you're becoming a part of it. Is that what you want?" Russ asked, feeling his adrenaline rise.

Suddenly going completely limp, Zorpheus looked like he was going to fall over, until he started laughing. It came softly at first, steadily increasing to the point until he almost started rolling around on the ground, laughing. Putting his cybernetic hand to his forehead, he used it to support himself, trying to overcome his laughing spasms.

Looking at him in complete astonishment, Russ's eyes became very wide. "Have you lost your mind? What the hell is wrong with you?"

Finally calming down, a huge grin on his face, Zorpheus looked at Russ with the most insane visage he had ever mustered. "I'll be just fine… when I skin you alive and feed you to the vultures!" he screamed, flying wildly at Russ, letting loose a hailstorm of punches at his head.

"My god, look how fast he is!" Tenchi yelled, watching Zorpheus sail over to Russ. In nearly an instant, Zorpheus was planting fist after fist into Russ's body, causing him to stumble backwards.

"Fight back!" Aeka screamed, watching Russ get pummeled, Zorpheus's fists going back and forth relentlessly. Every punch he threw landed, nailing Russ in the face, his chest, his legs, arms, and stomach.

Watching Russ fall to the ground, the entire family looked at the spectacle in horror, totally blown away that someone was able to do what they just did to a man who has never even been touched, or seemed incapable of harming.

Zorpheus stood over him, his real fist glowing with energy as he drove it toward Russ's face, but Russ saw it coming and nodded his head to the side, letting his fist slam into the dirt, causing the ground to explode from the impact, making dirt, dust, gravel and rocks go everywhere like shrapnel. The ground inside the sphere shook, and the sound of rattling metal became apparent.

"What the hell was that?" Ryoko asked, feeling it too.

"I don't understand!" Washu yelled, summoning her laptop. After keying several commands and taking various measurements, she looked up at the massive crater Zorpheus just caused, the dust clearing. "These guys are so strong that the shockwaves of their battle are able to pass through the sealed doorway! This was not expected." Typing several additional things into her laptop, he sighed. "It shouldn't get any worse than that though. The regular Earth dimension won't feel any of this, but my lab will."

"Russ is gone!" Sasami said, peering into the crater. However, she looked up and saw a faint image of another man standing at the edge of the crater. "Whew, he's safe. Man, he's fast."

"We haven't seen anything yet," Aeka said, folding her arms over her chest, standing tall. "Russ wasn't even hurt by all of that. Everything will be fine. You'll see," Aeka said, feeing very confident.

Everybody else quieted down and watched the battle unfold.

"Did you see that?" Misaki said, in complete awe. "I've never seen anybody move that fast before. Not even Russ did those kinds of moves while he was here."

The King of Jurai sat back in his throne, his eyes locked on the viewscreen, completely taken aback over what he just witnessed. "That is impressive," he said at last.

"I hope Russ can defeat him. They're both just playing with each other right now," Kamidake said, looking at both Russ's and Zorpheus's expressions.

Azaka nodded. "They're testing each other, probably to see how far each of them has progressed," he added. "This is far from over."

Funaho remained silent, watching the battle.

"Sir! We're ready to go into hyperspace on your mark," Sakuya said, sitting behind the helm of the Imperial Star Destroyer Gray Wolf. "Course laid in for Earth."

Tom saw what Zorpheus did to Russ, and it was only a matter of giving the order to move out. "Inform the rest of the fleet to stay here and protect the super star destroyer."

The communications officer relayed the message to the remaining ships, getting a response from each of them in turn. "It is done, captain!" he said, looking at Tom.

"Good. Sakuya, take us out. Once we're clear of the gravity well, enter hyperspace, normal cruising speed."

"Yes sir!" she said, keying the commands into the console. The ship shuddered slightly and the sound of the engines coming to life could be heard, as the ship lumbered out of orbit of Tom's home planet.

"How long until we reach Earth?" Tom asked, sitting down in his chair.

"Approximately three hours, twenty five minutes."

"Keep a clear signal on the battle between Russ and Zorpheus. Re-broadcast it through the rest of the ship. Everybody knows him and they'll want to see the outcome of this battle," Tom ordered, drumming his fingers together. "You better not lose, Russ," he muttered under his breath. "That woman is still waiting for you."

Upon reaching the edge of the planetary system, Sakuya gave a countdown and upon reaching zero, the ship entered hyperspace, heading toward Earth.

"Do you feel better now?" Russ asked, standing at the edge of the crater that Zorpheus caused, his arms folded over his chest, standing tall. He looked completely unscathed, except for a little dirt on his clothes.

"The fun is just beginning, dog meat. I hope you're not counting on mercy, because I am offering none. You will never again see real sunlight," he threatened, raising his arms in a protective stance.

Russ frowned. "I don't get it. You used to listen to reason. Why are you acting like this?"

Zorpheus narrowed his eyes slightly. "You know, immortality would've saved Laurie." Seeing Russ's surprised expression, he grinned, launching himself at Russ, trying to dropkick him in his jaw. However, Russ saw it coming and he caught both of Zorpheus's feet, and then redirected his momentum straight into the ground, causing a huge crash.

"You leave Laurie out of this. Fate can be a cruel thing, but cheating it is even worse!" he yelled, looking at the hole Zorpheus just created.

Flat on his back, Zorpheus's face became a disgusted frown. "What a load of bull you're shoveling! You mope around for years after the fact, yet you claim that giving her the ability to live through your act of negligence would make you want her less. You're full of it. You hate death, but you hate life more!" he said, flying out of his crater and landing a good distance away.

Russ felt his emotions begin to boil at his attacks on his first love. "The only bull that's being said is what is coming out of your mouth! I loved Laurie, and at the time, I would've died in her place!" he yelled, charging Zorpheus, sticking out his knee, trying to nail him in his gut, but Zorpheus zanzokened away, and vanished from sight. Stopping his advance, he landed on the ground, using his senses to try to find Zorpheus, but he lowered his power to almost nothing and he could just barely make out his energy. Looking off toward the trees, he could faintly feel something there, but he couldn't pinpoint it exactly. Crouching down into a more defensive stance, he patiently awaited for Zorpheus to make another move.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are!" Russ yelled, becoming impatient.

Appearing to his left, Zorpheus rocketed straight at his opponent, his fist outstretched, trying to plow into Russ's face. Feeling it coming, Russ leaned back to avoid the punch, but he wasn't fast enough and it caught him high on his cheek, snapping his head to the side and nearly knocking him over.

"You're better than I remember," Russ said, turning back to face Zorpheus, who stood about two feet away.

"Am I? Or did living with these weaklings make you soft?"

His eyes directed straight into Zorpheus eyes, he relaxed slightly. "Not at all. Actually, I've grown quite accustomed to their way of life, but it has by no means made me soft. Allow me to demonstrate," he said, pulling back his fist at such a high rate of speed that Zorpheus didn't see it, until it smashed into his mouth, causing him to stagger backward and spit out a mouthful of blood, a large shockwave emanating from the force of the impact.

Caught off guard, he growled something to himself and unleashed a small, blue ball of ki at Russ's chest. He saw it coming and put up both his hands to block it, but as soon as the ball touched his hands it exploded, enshrouding him in smoke. The wind was brisk and the smoke blew away quickly, but Russ's hands were singed and smoking.

"Oww," he muttered, letting a slight grin creep onto his lips.

"You like that? Here's a few more!" he yelled, pushing his hands back and forth like pistons, unleashing a barrage of small ki blasts.

All the balls screamed toward Russ, but just before they contacted him, he blurred to the side, just far enough to let all the balls sail harmlessly past. Cupping his hands to the side, blue energy gathered and glowed intensely, ready to be released. "Eat this! Kamehame… HAAAAA!" he yelled, releasing the built up energy in Goku's signature move, letting the blue beam roar toward Zorpheus.

Watching the beam head for him, he leapt into the air a short distance and let the beam sail under him, then pushed off of the beam as if playing leapfrog. Twisting his body and spinning, he let off four small yellow ki blasts, but only one out of the three got anywhere near Russ. He ducked under it to avoid it, but Zorpheus grinned, as that was exactly what he was hoping for. All four balls stopped for an instant, until Zorpheus closed his hand, causing all four to focus on central point.

Seeing two out of the four balls head at him, Russ put out his hands and blocked the ones in front of him, but the two that were behind him smashed into his back, exploding on impact, knocking him to the ground, burying his face in the dirt. After a moment, he struggled back to his feet and felt something hot and sticky on the side of his face. Reaching up to feel it, his fingers became covered in a small amount of crimson. "I've just about had enough of this warm-up," he growled, wiping the blood off the side of his face.

The entire family watched in awe, and was in complete shock that Russ was actually injured. It was the first time they had ever seen him shed a drop of blood, no matter what had happened to him.

"He's… hurt," Aeka said, her face pale and filled with worry. "I've never seen him hurt before."

Washu also looked at him in concern. "Those energy balls had enough power in them to blow up a mountain. Frankly, I'm surprised a small cut is all he got from that explosion," she said, her hand shaking very slightly.

"They're using homemade fireworks!" Mihoshi said, remembering the ki blasts. "But how come they're not pretty like the ones we saw at the Startica Festival?"

"Shut up, Mihoshi!" Kiyone yelled, looking fearfully at Aeka, who looked about ready to kill her. "This isn't the time for your stupidity!"

Ryoko and Tenchi both watched the event in amazement. They had both been trying to follow their movements around, but at points, they moved too fast, even with their enhanced senses. Seeing more and more of what these two warriors were capable of, they began to wonder if there were still others that were just as powerful as they were, if not stronger.

"Can you believe this?" Tenchi asked, looking at Russ, who finally returned to his feet, his visage a mask of anger and impatience.

"I'm scared, Tenchi. I'm really, really scared. People used to cower in fear over me when I was a space pirate, but these guys make that look like a grain of sand on the beach," she said, holding onto Tenchi. "I'm so glad Washu made that separate dimension for them to fight in."

Tenchi nodded. "Even with them being in that separate dimension, some of their energy is bleeding through the sealed doorway and affecting this dimension. Just their punches are enough to slightly shake the floor in here, and their energy blasts almost feel like a small earthquake, and they're not even warmed up yet!"

"When I sparred against Russ, he'd only use his energy to distract me, and he'd never attack me with it. This is the first time I've seen him turn that energy on another man," she said, worriedly. "He's really serious about stopping him, and Zorpheus is bent on killing him!"

"Second time, actually. Remember what he did to Kain? Remember the size of that energy blast?" Tenchi said, his eyes growing a little wider. "I don't even think that was the peak of his power either. Even though the blasts that he's thrown so far have been smaller, they're almost as powerful. Look at the ground where the Kamehameha wave went over," he said, pointing to a bare strip that went from Russ's former position to where Zorpheus was standing a little while ago. "His energy never even touched the ground, but look what it did to it."

"Russ will win," Aeka said again, eavesdropping on both Tenchi and Ryoko. They turned around and looked at her, and she had nothing but an aura of confidence around her. "He will not fail. He promised us that everything would be okay."

"That's right," Sasami said, standing next to her sister, her face determined. "He promised me that he wouldn't die and he promised me that all of us will be safe. I've never known him to lie so I believe him," she said, clenching her small fists together.

"But it wasn't supposed to be this way!" Ryoko said, pointing at Zorpheus. "He's supposed to be almost like Russ, or so he said. He's far meaner, more callus, and evil than even Russ thought he was!"

"I don't understand it," Aeka said, shaking her head. "But Russ will stop him. I have faith in him, and not only that, he has a second reason to win."

Looking at Aeka in curiosity, the family waited for her to explain herself. Misaki and Funaho were also listening in on their conversation, wondering what Aeka was going to say.

"Russ will be my boyfriend if he wins," she finally said, drawing awestruck expressions from everybody around the room.

"You're kidding!" Misaki yelled, her face filling the viewscreen, but Asuza frowned deeply. "He finally said he'd date with you!?"

Aeka nodded, blushing, and smiling. "Yes. He told me last night. I almost didn't believe it at first, since he has done nothing but reject me up until now, but it came as the most pleasant surprise I could've ever had."

Sasami gasped, looking at her with renewed hope. "He's going to stay with us?" she asked, tears at the corners of her eyes. "Is he really going to stay here and be my big brother?"

Nodding her head, Aeka smiled. "Yes. My wish has finally been realized, and I couldn't be happier."

"That barbarian has no business…" Asuza began, but wound up finding a pair of hands over his mouth, and two very stern glares aimed at him. Glancing back at the viewscreen, both Misaki and Funaho grinned.

"Good luck with him, Aeka," Misaki congratulated. "We'll come to visit you and vacation with you for a little while, and to properly congratulate you two and give you our blessings," she said, smiling, tears at the edges of her amethyst eyes. "My little girl is growing up so fast…"

"Mother!" Aeka yelled, becoming embarrassed.

"It looks like they're ready to begin fighting again," Washu indicated, watching Russ clench his fists at his side, glaring at Zorpheus. "Round two."

Zorpheus started laughing. "This is getting amusing!"

"You sick little monkey," Russ spat, raising his fists. "You always were a slightly better fighter and I can see you learned a few new tricks, but I am still the stronger one."

Shaking his head, Zorpheus spat out a small amount of leftover blood from Russ's punch. "And you're always quick to throw around your raw power, but you never take the time to learn how to fully use it. Too bad for you, because I still remember me being the stronger one before we parted ways, and unless flower-sniffing gave you some added strength while you were here, you're a very far cry from where I am now," he sneered, proudly.

Russ narrowed his eyes, deciding to call Zorpheus's bluff. "You have no idea how far I've progressed. I'll take that arrogance of yours and shove it where the sun don't shine in a minute."

"Talk, talk, talk. Do it already," he shot back, folding his arms over his chest.

As if turning on a light switch, a huge golden flash erupted around Russ, causing chunks of the land to break apart and float up into the air, creating a whirlwind of dust, dirt, and debris. The sky darkened slightly, turning an eerie shade of green. Yellow lightning danced around Russ, striking the ground and arcing through the air like a tesla coil, until the earthquake started. More of the ground broke apart and began to crater under Russ, where the intenseness of his energy forced the ground under him to give way. The sound of Russ's voice echoed for miles around, as his aura expanded a little more, completely engulfing him in golden flame. His hair flashed an aura of yellow for an instant, and then changed over completely, all the spikes of his hair now standing upright, except for a few which dangled in front of his face. Completing his transformation, his black eyes changed to a beautiful shade of green, which looked exactly like the sea on a sunny day. His transformation now complete, his aura contracted back to normal, still pulsing around him, causing his clothes to flap in the wake of his energy.

Russ glared at Zorpheus, ready for round two. "It's time to show you what I've learned."

Zorpheus smirked, clenching his own fists. A gigantic explosion erupted from where he was standing, also surrounding him in bright, gold energy. The sound of his voice carried as far as Russ's, the cry of pain, excitement, and rage. Pebbles rose off of the ground, surrounding Zorpheus, and then disintegrated. More chunks of the Earth broke apart and rose up, racing away from his position, sandblasting the landscape, turning it rough, barren, and lifeless. Even the mountain was being eroded away from the force of Zorpheus's energy, and the resulting earthquake was causing it to crumble.

Standing tall, not flinching in the slightest, Russ patiently waited for Zorpheus to complete his transformation. Feeling his energy climb above his own, he remained steadfast, wondering when he was going to stop.

His energy pulsing around him, his hair tall and golden, his one good eye a sea green and his bionic eye still red, Zorpheus stood fully transformed, an arrogant smirk on his face. "Bring it on, fanboy."

Russ grinned as well, the excitement of battle coursing through every fiber of his being. 'Got to end this quick,' he thought to himself. His energy expanding around him, he leapt off of the ground and poured a huge amount of energy into flying, causing the ground he stood on to explode from the incredible force, and raced at Zorpheus. Stopping directly in front of him, he brought his foot up directly between Zorpheus's legs with all the force he could muster.

Sounding like a bomb went off, Russ's foot stopped short of Zorpheus's crotch by about an inch, his foot suspended in midair, a result of his foot colliding with a ki barrier.

"What the hell?" he said, stunned that his surprise attack failed.

Zorpheus didn't flinch. Casually raising his bionic arm, he swung it at Russ's head, trying to backhand him away. However, he missed as Russ vanished, just in the nick of time.

"You didn't just attack there," Zorpheus said, sounding like Booker T. "TELL ME, you didn't just attack there!"

"And you talk about me being a fanboy!" Russ sneered, appearing a dozen paces away in mid-air and rubbing his ear, a result of windburn from Zorpheus's swing. "When did you start doing that anyway?"

Grinning to himself, Zorpheus brought his arms up in a boxer's stance. "Women, like underhanded little pukes such as yourself, can be a tad unpredictable, so it's a little reflex I've developed."

Landing on the ground, Russ shook his head. "Why am I not surprised? You've been kicked there quite a few times, right?"

"Exactly thirty seven times…" he muttered, holding up his index finger on his good hand.

Russ's eyes bulged at hearing the number, and then he started laughing. "Speaking of which, you would've achieved number thirty eight if Aeka wasn't restrained by both Ryoko and Tenchi."

Frowning, Zorpheus didn't find any of it funny. "I don't recall ever asking you for your opinion on my love life, castrate boy."

"I just care more about a girl's feelings, pervert. I don't let my crotch do the talking, unlike some people," Russ sneered, crouching down.

"Instead, you let your ass do the talking, you son of a bitch!" Vanishing then re-appearing off to Russ's left, he raced toward his target, his elbow outstretched, trying to nail Russ in his jawbone. However, Russ saw it coming and he ducked, letting his momentum carry him over Russ's head, but then Russ tried to plant his fist in his own face in a vicious uppercut.

"At least it doesn't stink like your crotch!" Russ shouted, following through.

Leaning back to avoid it, he redirected his momentum and streaked back at Russ, trying to knee him in his stomach. "That's the smell of a man! No wonder it stinks to you because you only have yourself to compare to!"

Zanzokening out of sight to avoid the knee, he reappeared behind Zorpheus's back, his fists clenched together as he brought both his hands down toward his opponent's head in a double axe-handle. "Your crotch gets kicked far more than mine does," he shot back. "I'm still at zero and I intend to keep it there! My way is far more comfortable to me, you pervert!"

Strafing out of the way of Russ's fists, he feigned an attack at Russ's knees, and then changed his leg's direction into a snap kick at his head. "You're also at zero in your sex life, so that's not surprising!"

"I'm saving myself for the woman of my dreams!" Russ yelled, leaning back, feeling the wind of Zorpheus's foot sailing past. Spinning around in reverse, he swung his own leg at Zorpheus's feet in an attempt to knock his legs out from under him in a leg sweep. "I hold a much higher value on love and sex than you ever will!"

"How can you find a woman at all if all you do is avoid them like a pansy!?" Flipping backwards and away from Russ's attack, he stopped himself in mid-air, and then flew at Russ, spinning with both his feet directed at his opponent's chest.

Seeing it coming, Russ blurred out of the way, just as Zorpheus would've made contact, and re-appeared in the same spot just as Zorpheus cleared the area. His yellow aura expanding around him, he took off after Zorpheus, trying the same spinning heel kick. "Who says I avoid them?! Just who do you think I've been living with for the past year?!"

"That doesn't matter! You're still at zero!" Flipping backwards and performing several handsprings to get away from him, Zorpheus righted himself and sent a small ki ball back at Russ, trying to catch him off-guard. "You're hopeless!"

"There is a reason I'm still at zero, you pervert!" Russ shouted back, watching the ki ball sail at him. Using his left hand, he swatted the ball away like a bug, where it exploded into the mountainside, sending debris everywhere. After a moment, Russ's energy exploded around him and he hurtled himself toward Zorpheus, throwing a small ki blast just in front of him. He then twisted himself to dropkick his former friend in the chest, sailing at him at an insane speed.

"Yeah! It's because you're a castrated wuss with zero sex drive who can't handle one unfortunate twist of fate!" Zorpheus yelled, putting his hands out to stop the ki blast. Catching the ball, he rebounded it and sent it screaming back at Russ. Seeing the surprised look on Russ's face, he watched him abort his kick, but his forward momentum kept him coming at him. Grinning, he simply placed his fist out in front of him, waiting for Russ to simply run into it.

Quickly throwing his arm out to the side, Russ let loose a large beam that changed his direction to the left a little. Cutting off the beam but keeping his arm outstretched, he changed his folly to a clothesline attack. "You think you've got me all figured out, don't you, smartass!?"

Dropping himself to the ground, he completely avoided the clothesline. "Maybe it's because you're so damn predictable!" Flipping himself into a vertical handstand, he launched himself at an angle to hit Russ with his feet.

Looking behind himself, he saw Zorpheus's feet coming straight for him. Speeding himself up to avoid the kick, he blasted off into the sky, climbing several hundred feet in a matter of seconds, where he stopped, spun around, and waited. Putting his arms in front of himself, he blocked the dropkick, also stopping Zorpheus's advance. "Like you have any room to talk, you jerk!" Russ shouted, grabbing hold of Zorpheus's feet, spinning around like a top, and then launching him back toward the ground. Powering up his energy, he released a hailstorm of ki balls from his hands, all of which followed Zorpheus's descent.

Still spinning toward the ground, he heard the launch of the many little blasts. Quickly righting himself just before impacting the ground, landing in a crouched position, he turned himself around, now holding a large, broad blade. It was around three feet long, but it was about four inches wide, and the blade did not shine like most, but instead, was a dull, gray color. The hilt had a violet jewel, and it looked like the Demon Sword out of Record of Lodoss War. Spinning the blade once, he proceeded to deflect every single ki blast that came near him, each of them careening off in some wild direction, all of them exploding once they hit the ground, causing a massive earthquake. Several of the blasts were deflected straight back at Russ, and he had to discontinue firing them to avoid his own ki balls. The final blast heading at Zorpheus, he positioned himself in a familiar baseball stance, holding his sword over his shoulder. "BATTER UP!" he yelled, slamming the blast with the broad side of his sword, sending it screaming back at Russ at outrageous speed.

"What the hell?!" Russ yelled, putting his hands out in front of him. The ki ball exploded upon impacting upon his hands, enshrouding him in smoke. The wind was still blowing briskly and it cleared the smoke quickly, and it revealed Russ who still remained unscathed, aside from his smoldering palms. Looking down on Zorpheus who was still holding his sword, he slowly let himself back down to the ground, checking out the blade. "I see you got a new Schwartz," he said, touching down. "How the hell did it block a ki ball? Any normal sword would've been vaporized!"

"Well, in traveling across the galaxy, you can find some pretty amazing stuff. Things such as cortosis ore are one of the many finds on my journey here. You know what it is, don't you?" he asked, grinning. "It makes for a great ball game. I'd let you try it out, but you're liable to trip over and kill yourself with it with your embarrassing inexperience at using weapons." He then chuckled. "I should still let you try it. It'll make my job a lot easier."

Now grinning himself, Russ brought his right hand out in front of him. "I too have learned some new tricks since we last parted," he said, a green ball of energy forming within his palm. Squeezing it, the ball deformed and flashed into a six-foot staff, letting out a hum not unlike a Jedi lightsaber. "It's time to show you how good I've become with a staff," he added, swinging it around his body, and then bringing it to rest in front of him, his green eyes staring straight into Zorpheus's face.

Rolling his eyes, Zorpheus slapped himself on his forehead with his free hand. "Oh give me a break. Why don't you pull your pants down so I can see your Jar Jar Binks underpants now, you fanboy," he said, assuming a guard stance with his sword.

"Laugh it up, pervert. Let's see how your sword stands up against this!" Russ yelled, heading straight for Zorpheus, the staff over his head to make a decapitating swing at Zorpheus.

Batting out of the way as if it were a fly, Zorpheus redirected his sword directly at Russ's throat, intending on giving him a whole new hole to breathe out of.

Spinning the staff with the force of the blow, Russ was able to block the sword shot at his neck, causing a shower of sparks from the ki staff contacting the cortosis sword.

Zorpheus pulled his sword back, then drove it forward, straight at Russ's chest. Thinking that Russ might see it coming, he changed directions at the last nanosecond and went for putting the blade into Russ's side.

Moving to block the sword shot at his chest with his staff, he saw Zorpheus change directions at the very last moment, and it forced him to strafe out of the way, his staff too far out of position to be of any use.

Quickly seizing a moment, Zorpheus moved forward, making dozens of little jabs with his sword, all of which were being blocked skillfully by Russ's staff. It moved so fast that all that could be seen was a green blur, and it could've passed for a solid shield of color. Using the jabs as only a distraction, he blurred to another spot and restarted his fast offense, again, making many little jabs at various parts of Russ's body. Just as he thought Russ was suckered into the pattern, he pulled his sword back and let it go, full force, into Russ's face.

Seeing the sword coming, Russ could also see Zorpheus's face contort with added strain, a testament to the force behind the blow. Nodding his head to the side, letting the blade almost give him a shave on the left side of his head, he spun his staff around and took a swing at Zorpheus's feet.

Zorpheus saw it coming and swung his sword to block it, causing another loud clang and a big shockwave from the impact. After each weapon contacted each other, Russ used the opposite side of the staff to try to club Zorpheus in his head, but Zorpheus was too fast and blocked each of those shots too. Trying it again and again, then altering his offense slightly to try to jam the end of his pole into Zorpheus's head, he forced him to retreat into the air. Grinning slightly, he swung the staff around his body once, pointed the end at Zorpheus, and chuckled. "Powerpole, extend!" he yelled, as the staff expanded in length, heading straight for his opponent at amazing speed.

"Heh, Heh, Heh. He said, 'extend!'" Taking his sword with both of his hands, he swung it hard against the staff at just the right moment, throwing Russ off-balance from the sudden pressure. His energy glowing about him, he shot back down toward Russ, his sword pointed directly at him.

"You're such an IDIOT!" Russ yelled, jumping to the side, letting his staff fade into oblivion. Just as Zorpheus touched the ground, missing with his charge, he reformed the staff, and then took a shot at Zorpheus's chest.

"Yes, I am an idiot, and I worship stupidity. You are my new god!" Bringing the sword in front of him, stopping the staff with the broad side of his blade, he swung around and brought his foot up to kick Russ in his head.

"A stupid is, a stupid does!" Russ shot back, grinding his teeth at all the insults, ducking under the roundhouse Zorpheus was attempting. Before he finished his follow-through though, Russ took his staff and swung it at his leg that was still on the ground, trying to trip him.

Glancing down, Zorpheus saw what he was trying to do, and with a technique worthy of Rob Van Dam, he lifted his other foot, just as the staff whizzed by, and positioned his foot for another kick at Russ's face. However, instead of actually kicking him, he took both of his legs and tried to grab Russ around the neck, using a leg scissor technique that he had seen once before on TV.

Watching both legs head straight for his head and neck, Russ blurred out of the way, narrowly missing the chokehold. Reappearing directly in front of Zorpheus, his face no further than three inches from his opponent's, he clenched his right fist and went to bury it in Zorpheus's gut.

Shuffling to the side, he wound up his cybernetic arm and punched Russ's fist, the impact of both hands causing a gigantic shockwave that rumbled the ground, stinging Russ's fingers. "The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak," he said, grinning sadistically.

"Says you, Vader," Russ returned, shaking his hand from the pain of the impact. Spinning his staff, he began to take many short and fast swings at all parts of Zorpheus's body, all of which were being speedily blocked by Zorpheus's sword, showers of sparks erupting from each and every impact. Thinking he finally got Zorpheus distracted enough with the many quick jabs and swings, he wound up and swung his staff like a baseball bat, directly at Zorpheus's head.

Seemingly not put off by Russ's change in speed, he ducks the staff, hearing it whip over his head, and in a heartbeat, he clenched his sword with both hands once again, bringing the sword down in a hard slash directly at Russ's exposed shoulder.

Splitting the staff into two halves, Russ quickly put one of the swords in between his shoulder and Zorpheus's blade, blocking it in the nick of time. Taking the second half of the staff, he swung it upward, intending to slice Zorpheus in half from the ground up.

Leaping into the air, he spread his legs wide, as if inviting Russ to split him in half. However, as the green sword came close to contacting him, a loud shockwave erupted from colliding with his groin shield. "That had a nice tingle!" Zorpheus taunted, bringing his sword up and slashing downward at Russ, as he began descending from his leap.

"Oh, you are SO dead," Russ snarled, using his other sword to block Zorpheus's overhead shot. At the same time, he let go of the sword caught between Zorpheus's legs and gathered up a significant amount of energy in his now free hand, pointing it at his opponent's chest, just as Zorpheus came down and contacted his second sword. "Masenko, HAAAA!" he yelled, releasing the yellow beam.

Bringing his sword down in front of him, he angled his blade off to the right, creating a forty-five degree angle in between himself and Russ. The beam slammed into the sword and ricocheted off, careening off into the horizon, where the beam finally dropped to the ground and exploded, creating a gigantic mushroom cloud and shaking the ground in an Earthquake that San Francisco could only dream about. Grinning, Zorpheus didn't even look like he put any effort into deflecting the beam. "Give it up. As long as I have this sword, your ki attacks are effortless to deflect." Pointing the edge of the blade back at Russ, he swung it forcefully at Russ's side using both of his hands.

"Then I'll just have to get rid of it!" Russ yelled, reforming his second sword and blocking Zorpheus's offense with both blades, forming an X to catch his opponent's sword within his. After all three blades impacted, a power struggle ensued, with Zorpheus putting a tremendous amount of pressure on his blade, trying to make Russ give way, but Russ wouldn't back down and he pushed back, neither gaining any ground on the other. After a moment, Russ's face contorted into a lot of strain, and with using a tremendous amount of strength, he threw Zorpheus off of him, sending him into the air. Russ quickly followed, his swords at the ready.

Stopping in midair, about a hundred feet above the ground, he saw Russ coming up to him. Grinning, he swung his sword in a circle once, grabbed the hilt with both hands once again, and brought it down toward Russ using all of his strength, intending to slice him in half.

Expecting this, Russ took both of his swords, placed them against each other, and then made a horizontal slash, putting all the force he could muster against the broad side of Zorpheus's blade. A massive shockwave exploded from the point of impact, and Zorpheus's sword broke in two, unable to withstand the force that Russ put into his swing. Only a mere quarter of the blade remained on the hilt. "How's that?" Russ taunted, breathing heavily.

Backpedaling a few meters, Zorpheus looked at his broken sword in disbelief. After a moment, his face became a cold, hard stare that could've frozen Haiti "Nrrrggggg… YOU IDIOT! Do you have any idea how long it took me to find enough Cortosis to make a sword?! And how far away the planet that has it is?!"

Letting his own swords disappear, Russ shrugged his shoulders. "Nope. Don't care, really. You told me that your sword could deflect ki attacks and it did do that well, so you basically told me what I had to overcome. Wasn't too difficult, actually," Russ taunted, grinning.

Tightening his fists, Zorpheus let out a roar of frustration, his yellow ki now burning brightly around him. Taking what was left of the sword, he hurled it at Russ at breakneck speed with the aid of his cybernetic arm. Russ swatted it away easily, but then realized that the technique was merely a distraction as Zorpheus split himself into four separate entities. All four rushed him at once and then began zanzokening around him in a frenzy. Everywhere Russ looked, there were dozens of afterimages of Zorpheus and it was impossible to tell which one was real and which one was not. One of the real Zorpheus's emerged from the storm of images and slammed Russ on the head, hard, with a double-axe handle, sending him down to the ground, creating a devastating impact that left another large crater, with Russ directly in the middle of it. Satisfied, all four duplicates of himself merged back into one, and the one was breathing heavily, a show of how much effort he put into his attack.

"That's the first shot either of them have scored on each other since becoming Super Saiyans," Tenchi said, looking down at Russ, who wasn't moving. "They've been going at it for almost a half hour. Incredible."

Aeka looked like she was ready to faint, her face very pale and wrinkled with worry and concern. She knew in her heart that the blow Zorpheus dealt Russ wasn't enough to put him down for good, but it was scary to know that Zorpheus got in the first shot.

After all that training, all that exercising, straining, meditating, and concentration, Russ looked to be losing the battle at present moment. She could see that Zorpheus was a slightly better fighter, in the sense that he didn't expel as much energy as Russ had during their scuffles, and he limited his movements as much as possible, at least, as far as she could actually see. At points, the two warriors moved so fast that they couldn't be seen by the naked eye or even with her enhanced senses, and the only telltale signs of battle were the incredibly huge shockwaves that exploded seemingly out of nowhere. Each punch, blast, kick, or other physical contact between the warriors triggered a minor earthquake within the lab, and when Russ shot his Masenko beam at Zorpheus, the lab felt like it was going to fall apart. Washu was very concerned, as she never expected both warriors to expel the seemingly endless supply of energy and strength that they had. Their strength, speed, and power, was nothing short of preposterous and godlike. Not even Washu, who had been around for over twenty centuries, could recall a pair of warriors who displayed such radical strength and speed.

The ki attacks both warriors were very new and different, as Aeka recalled some her past experiences, remembering some of the battles she had seen. This was the first one that she had witnessed where someone made an attack that was an actual beam of energy. Most of the time, when she watched two people fight out their differences, the attacks were short, small balls of energy that would explode on contact. Once it left their hand, they had no control over it, and nobody had enough stamina to keep their energy focused into a single, prolonged attack. But Zorpheus and Russ were able to do it effortlessly. It was nothing short of incredible… and scary.

Looking back down on Russ's broken form, a tear came to her eye. She looked down to see the pain on his face, and how he didn't seem to want to move. She had never seen him hurt before, or even scratched. She almost wondered what color his blood was, since she had never seen it. Clenching her fists together, she tried to keep from collapsing in on herself, her heart falling into a pit of despair and worry.

"Aeka? Are you alright?" Sasami asked, looking into her sister's forlorn face. "Aeka?"

Blinking her eyes, she looked into Sasami's face, and nearly lost all of her self control. "Russ is losing," she cried, falling to her knees. "He's losing!"

"It was just one shot, Aeka," Ryoko said, coming up to her. "He's a hell of a lot tougher than that. Have some faith. He'll pull through," she said, resting her hand on Aeka's shoulder, smiling down into her face, doing her best to give her hope.

"How could someone be just as powerful as Russ? This is insane!" she yelled, burying her face in her hands. "We Jurians went unchallenged for thousands of years, and these two just show up out of the blue and have basically set our impenetrable standard to waste. This almost seems impossible. They're not even gods and they're stronger than anything I've ever seen or even heard of!"

Watching her and listening to her outburst, Tenchi knelt down next to her, resting his arm on her shoulder, in much the same way Ryoko was doing. "He'll be okay, Aeka. Look," he said, pointing at Russ, who was now dragging himself to his feet, shaking the cobwebs out of his head, blood trickling out of the corner of his mouth.

What Aeka saw sent chills down her spine. He was actually grinning and looked like he enjoyed the attack Zorpheus made on him, and he was wanting more. "Why is he smiling?" she asked, her eyes wide, her hands shaking.

"I'm scared!" Mihoshi yelled, grabbing Kiyone around the waist, squeezing with all of her might.

"Let go of me, Mihoshi!" Kiyone shouted back, trying to push her partner off of herself, but Mihoshi shook her head and held on tightly. "Stop it! I can't breathe!"

"No, no!" Mihoshi whined. "I'm too scared!"

"They can't hurt us here!" Kiyone grunted, straining to break her partners iron grip. Finally getting her arms to slide off, she started to backpedal, but Mihoshi grabbed her around her right leg, holding on for dear life. "Give me a break!"

Shaking her head, Ryoko turned her attention back to Russ, who stood tall, looking up at Zorpheus with a chilling grin. Having been in many, many battles in her life, she had never known anyone to smile after being pounded like that. "Is he masochistic?"

"HOW DARE YOU SAY THAT?!" Aeka shouted, standing up, her fists clenched tightly at her sides. "He is most certainly NOT masochistic!"

"You called me that when you were torturing me onboard your ship, your highness," Ryoko reminded her, as she recalled how she laughed when the Guardians had tried to electrocute her.

"This isn't the same thing!" she yelled back, thrusting her finger in his direction. "He explained it to me and everybody else, but it's still unsettling to see it."

Tenchi nodded his head. "Yeah, that's true. But at least you're back to normal for the moment. But, maybe you should leave. I think this fight is upsetting you a lot, Aeka, and the best thing I can recommend to you is to actually not watch…"

"I'm staying," she said, staring directly into Tenchi's eyes. "There isn't a damn thing you can do to make me leave either."

"But I'm only…"

"I don't want to hear it," she returned, walking away from Tenchi and toward Washu.

Tenchi stood there, blinking his eyes in surprise. "What just happened?"

"She just brushed you off. But you know, I would've done the same thing if it were you in there," she explained, keeping her voice low. "Actually, I'd probably be in there with you."

Looking at her, Tenchi smiled. "I know. It doesn't matter what we're up against, but I know you'll be by my side against any foe."

Coming close to each other, Tenchi wrapped his arm around Ryoko's waist, and she put her arm around his shoulders, as they both watched Russ and Zorpheus prepare to fight once again.

"Heh. Funny how you're still grinning even though your favorite toy has been busted," Russ said, looking at his opponent, who floated about a hundred feet up into the air.

"There will always be new toys to play with, but the look on your face when you were smashed down to the ground was priceless and irreplaceable. Speaking of toys, allow me to show you another one!" he yelled, pointing his cybernetic arm at Russ. A latch unhitched itself from within the wrist and the hand swiveled out of the way, grabbing hold of the arm with its fingers. Inside, eight small holes presented themselves from behind the hand, matching the pattern of a gatling gun. A glow appearing in the top hole, a tiny ki blast raced out of it and screamed toward Russ at an alarming rate, and a second ball followed it up from the hole going clockwise. Shoving a generous amount of energy to his arm, Zorpheus opened up and began spraying the area with thousands of tiny ki balls, perfectly resembling Android 16's own blasters.

His eyes widening in surprise, Russ jumped out of the way just as the first ki blasts slammed into the ground, building up explosion after explosion. "When the hell did you get THAT installed?!" Russ yelled, flying back into the air, doing his best to avoid the super high speed, miniature blasts. Keeping the distance between himself and Zorpheus almost constant, he made a mistake of moving in a direction that Zorpheus predicted and he wound up getting pelted by dozens of the blasts, causing burn marks all over his clothes. Cracking a grin and laughing, Zorpheus intensified the tiny blasts, enjoying himself, watching Russ run away like a rabbit. Getting irritated at avoiding all the blasts, Russ charged up and fired a small green ball of ki at Zorpheus, in an attempt to distract him. Faltering for a moment, the distraction worked, and it gave him an opportunity to start a barrage of his own, making his fingers into makeshift pistols, and then firing purple beams out of both of his fingers and his eyes, the same attack Frieza used against Goku.

Instead of making a move to dodge them, Zorpheus reattached his hand, put his hands together to form a triangle, and centered the hole on Russ. "Right on target. KIKOHO HAAAAAA!" he yelled, letting loose a huge, yellow beam. It hurled its way directly at his goal, absorbing the smaller blasts from Russ as if they were fleas.

Seeing this, Russ quickly put two fingers to his forehead, watching the beam come closer and closer, charging his energy at a dangerous rate. Blue sparks came from the tips of his fingers and then glowed yellow with a purple outline. With the Kikoho beam almost on him, he thrust his fingers forward, grinning. "Makenkosappo!" he yelled, Piccolo's signature move blasting out of his fingertips with radiant purple and yellow energy, corkscrewing straight into the Kikoho, the impact of both beams creating a massive explosion worthy of the first nuclear bomb dropped on Hiroshima. The entire area became blinding yellow light, trees were being blasted away like toothpicks, and the ground was being sandblasted bare and lifeless. The craters that were made were replaced by one huge depression, going some five hundred feet deep. The mountain was blown clean away, leaving only large boulders spread as far as the eye could see, the path going away from the blast site. Rumbling nearly a minute after the impact, the noise from the original contact was nothing short of deafening. The entire area of what used to be a beautiful Japanese shrine now looked like a barren desert, dead and without life. As the last of the noise went away, it became deathly quiet, aside from the sound of the wind blowing the dust about.

Russ was thrown down to the ground from the shockwave of the blast, his face, arms, legs, shirt, and pants all loaded with cuts and abrasions. He almost looked like he went through a carwash, without a car. Crimson seeped from many of the wounds, stinging pain coming from each and every one of them as his salty perspiration ran into the wounds, becoming red itself. Dragging himself to his feet, his chest hurting from the blast impact, he coughed once and spat up a mouthful of blood, spitting it off to the side. Clearing his throat, he stood silently, and waited.

On the other side of the crater, Zorpheus picked himself up out of his depression, and he didn't look too much better. His body armor was torn in many places, the armor plating was all but gone, and crimson seeped from many of the cuts and contusions. He had a gash on his cheek under his real eye, and his nose was running red blood. Straining and grinding his teeth against the pain, he returned to his feet at the same moment Russ stood up, then both looked at each other in the eyes, and grinned.

Washu, Aeka, Ryoko, Tenchi, Sasami, Kiyone, and Mihoshi all picked themselves up off of the floor, unable to keep their footing from the earthquake that resulted from the explosion of the two beams. Washu's lab was starting to look like a battlefield itself, as glass jars fell off of shelves and shattered on the floor, books and other text that were kept neatly in filing cabinets were now laying in chaos on the hard concrete, and even some of her aquariums were cracked, seeping water.

Getting on her feet, Washu looked at her lab in a mixture of shock, horror, and frustration. "GOD DAMMIT!" she yelled at the top of her voice. "My lab is a total wreck! That earthquake has ruined months, no, YEARS of work! And I can't close the door down permanently, or they'll be sealed in there forever!" Collapsing back to her knees, she looked at the ground, tears at the corners of her eyes. "Why?"

"Oh Washu…" Sasami whispered, coming over to the scientist. Without another word, she wrapped her arms around Washu, holding her tightly.

Gasping in surprise, Washu looked up into Sasami's sincere face, and then broke down. Grabbing the little princess, she buried her face into her overalls and began to cry, letting out all of her frustration at once, not caring who was watching her. The rest of the family stood by quietly, waiting for her to come to her senses and become the strong woman that everybody knew. It was indeed a rare spectacle to see Washu show any kind of soft emotion, such as sadness. She quickly regained her strength and made it back to her feet, looking at the holographic representation of the separate dimension, gasping in horror.

"I can't believe they're still alive after that," Ryoko said, her eyes wide, looking at Russ and all of his cuts. "This is insane."

"Both blasts had enough power to destroy a planet," Washu said, keying in a few commands on her laptop. Their power levels were too high to measure, but she was able to program the computer to make a good estimate. "Since they pretty much cancelled each other out, only that explosion was the result," she explained, wiping her eyes dry.

"That was a huge impact," Tenchi said, rubbing his bottom. "This borders on surreal and fake, but if I weren't here to see it, I would've never believed it."

Aeka was standing off to the side, her visage locked on Russ, and she could see the pain he was in. Walking over to him, she reached out to touch his face, but her hand passed right through him, pixelating around her hand. Quickly withdrawing it, she clasped her hands together and looked into his green eyes, sadness and despair entering her heart. "He's losing," she whispered to herself, turning around and looking at Zorpheus, who also looked to be in a tremendous amount of pain. "This can't be happening."

Noticing Aeka, Kiyone came over and stood in front of her, sternness on her face. "Pull yourself together Aeka. This fight is still far from finished."

"I don't care. I want it to end now," Aeka responded, wiping the tears away from her eyes. "I don't want to see Zorpheus hurt Russ anymore."

"I know, but we can't do anything about it. They have to finish this on their own."

Watching Russ lift off into the air, he hovered about fifty feet above the ground, clenched his fists, and took up his favorite stance, ready to continue. Zorpheus said nothing, as he too, lifted off of the ground, ready to continue. Without another word, both warriors flew at each other, punching and kicking at such a rapid pace that it was nothing but a blur to everybody. Numerous shockwaves exploded from each blocked punch or kick, and it continued to shake the floor they stood on.

Washu just shook her head and continued to focus on the battle, not caring about her lab anymore, but now more interested in the outcome of this confrontation. Eyeing Aeka, she knew that something was building up inside of the princess like a bomb waiting to go off. Knowing the princesses feelings toward Russ, she sincerely hoped she'd listen to her head rather than her heart.

"Isn't this exciting, Funaho?" Misaki asked, watching the battle continue. "He's so incredibly strong, and so is Zorpheus. I've never seen anything like it before. Aeka really picked a beefcake this time, didn't she?"

Giggling quietly, Funaho nodded her head. "Russ looks so strange with his yellow hair and his green eyes. That's one of the wildest things I've ever seen."

"Yeah! He does look rather odd, but very handsome in his current form. But that's the transformation into a Super Saiyan. Did you see how much his speed and power increased since turning into that?" she asked, her eyes sparkling. "Aeka deserves someone who can protect her like he can. There isn't another man alive that could harm her with him by her side."

"Except for that man," Asuza pointed out, thrusting his finger toward Zorpheus, who continued to punch and kick at Russ. "He seems to be doing a pretty good job of pounding Russ into the ground."

"They're pretty much equal, actually," Azaka pointed out, doing his best to keep his attention on their movements, trying to learn some new moves from the battle. "After that blast, they're basically on the same fighting ground."

"I agree," Kamidake said, also watching the battle in complete concentration. "Their power, energy, and strength are so preposterous that they'd probably be more likely to kill each other than have a single victor."

"I doubt that," Funaho said, glaring at Kamidake. "There will be a winner here, lest he break his promise to Aeka and Sasami, and I do not believe he will."

Asuza remained quiet, but he secretly hoped that Russ would lose and parish. It would make his job a lot easier to bring his daughter back home to help rule the empire. Besides, she was to assume her duty and marry the man he chose for her, who would best benefit the empire. If, for some unknown reason that he did survive, he began wondering what he could do to force her daughter to come home. Perhaps assassination? No, that couldn't work. Who in their right mind would go and try to kill someone like him? He'd most likely see it coming, and even if he didn't, any kind of weapon that currently existed probably couldn't affect him. But perhaps, maybe if he threatened the planet that was their current home, Earth. Maybe if he said that he'd destroy the planet if she didn't return home. Maybe that would sway her decision. Besides, there would be no way that one warrior could do anything to several hundred ships positioned around the planet.

Grinning to himself, Asuza settled on an alternative. He wouldn't destroy the planet, as he didn't have the heart to do that, but perhaps making it a bluff. Already knowing how Russ felt toward him, he'd probably convince himself that he was being truthful and would follow through on his threat. If that were the case, he may be able to lure him off the planet and destroy him in space. There is no way a single fighter, even if it was the most powerful one in existence, could take on a fleet of Jurian warships by itself.

"What are you thinking about, dear?" Misaki asked, noticing his inattentiveness, as Russ just plowed Zorpheus into the ground, following it up with a huge beam that exploded around Zorpheus.

"Aeka should come home to assume her duties as the Crown Princess," he muttered, glaring at the screen, irked that Russ seemed to rebound from the beating he took seconds before.

"She'll come home, eventually. But she'll probably bring Russ with her," she responded, smiling.

"That man has nothing to offer Jurai!" he shouted, his face very cross. "I will not hear another word of him coming here!"

"Actually, he does have something to offer. He is the most powerful being in this galaxy. He is kind, considerate, caring, and has enough power within his body to defend this entire planet by himself, and there isn't another empire around that could challenge him. Bringing him here would be one of the smartest things we could do," Funaho explained, unable to spark any kind of response out of her husband. "He is everything that a prince should be."

"Hogwash!" Asuza returned. "He's a playboy, worthless, and stupid. He wouldn't know how to even begin to handle our issues without the use of his fists!"

"I do not agree with that at all, husband!" Misaki yelled, getting mad. "Sasami has told me that he is a good teacher and listens to people's problems. Russ could figure out our system in no time, and he'd be a great leader too. He listens and knows how to talk to people, unlike you," she sneered, tired of his meanness and inflexibility.

The king turned his head completely towards Misaki, his face a cold scowl, and Funaho's face was a look of shock. "You will speak to me with more respect, Lady Misaki," he growled, his voice low and serious. "My decision is final. That man will have no ties with this planet and our daughter shall come home to do what she was meant to do, WITHOUT HIM!" he decreed, looking at the screen, where Zorpheus caught Russ in the middle of a punching spree.

"Are you really so cold as to ignore your daughter's feelings?" Misaki asked, very hurt. "Doesn't what she wants matter?"

"We are the royal family and it is our duty to serve this empire. It's time she learned duty over her trifle feelings," he returned, sitting back. "We shall go visit them after this battle. It will take us a week to get to Earth, and we will bring an escort fleet with us. We will settle this once and for all. I will make our daughter come home with us."

Funaho and Misaki both looked at him in a mix of shock, surprise, and disgust, but they both knew that they couldn't do anything about it, except go along with it. It hurt Misaki very deeply, as this was the first time he had ever turned down someone so vehemently. He basically ignored Tenchi, but he was very vocal and very against Russ's relationship with her daughter. Never listening to her pleas about Aeka, he was completely focused on enhancing his empire. It almost didn't seem like Asuza was himself, but bewitched in some way. Nevertheless, the only thing they could do was to continue trying to change his mind. Really hoping that Russ would stick by Aeka's side, there wouldn't be a whole lot he could do if he was adamant about staying with her daughter. There wouldn't be a thing he could do about it, actually. Threatening him with force wouldn't get him anywhere, because Russ could lay waste to even their best warriors, while he was in his normal form, without even breaking a sweat, while he'd be under intense gravity.

Thinking about it further, she wondered why he wanted to bring an escort fleet. They didn't do that the last couple of times they visited Earth. Perhaps he felt safer with many ships surrounding him. She knew that he was afraid of Russ and what he could do, but it still didn't explain it entirely. There had to be another reason behind it all.

Turning her attention to the viewscreen, Misaki watched Russ with a mix of hope, fear, and determination. She could see his will to fight and win, and it was strong. However, Zorpheus's was equally as strong, and she couldn't predict an outcome of their continuing battle. Thinking back to when Russ visited everybody during Startica, she remembered an explanation that he had given her over why he didn't want to become involved with Aeka, and she could begin to see why. "She was able to make a difference with Tenchi. She'd just get herself killed if she got involved with one of my issues," he had said. And now she had the proof she needed. Yes, she could parish at Zorpheus's hand, easily, but one thing she had learned about many warriors is that they won't attack those who are weaker than them… at least, very infrequently.

"What are you going to do if Aeka still refuses to come home, husband?" Misaki asked, becoming withdrawn. "Are you going to drag her here, kicking and screaming? Will you ruin whatever shred of dignity that she has left?"

"I will not explain it again, Lady Misaki," he growled, eyeing her. "She belongs here, with us, to serve as the Crown Princess of Jurai, as she was destined to be."

Looking away, ashamed, she unconsciously clenched her hands into fists, seething at his stubbornness. There just had to be a way to change his mind, and in reality, there was. Russ could change his mind. All he had to do was say that he was going to stay with their daughter for the rest of his life, and no matter what they did, he would never forsake her. That would do it. The King could bluster and threaten until he was blue in the face, but she knew that he wouldn't tango with a Saiyan, even if he were the most powerful Jurian alive. Picking up her face, the corners of her eyes moist, she looked at Russ and put her last bit of hope onto him. *You're the only thing standing in between Aeka and her father. I hope you fall in love with her and take her as your own for the rest of your life,* she thought to herself, glaring at her husband. *I know you'd be miserable here, as you've found something far more important to you than anything else in this universe.*

Funaho looked over at her, reading her changing facial expressions, and realized that she was hoping against hope that Russ would be the one to stop him. Saying a silent prayer to herself, she too, put all of her hopes for Aeka onto Russ, entrusting him with her. *Win, Russ. All you have to do is win and take their daughter into your arms and love her like no other. That is what she wants, and that is what both your mother and myself want for you. This planet can survive without you, but I hope you come home and bring Russ with you, as the empire would become invincible with the two of you. You'd take this empire to even greater heights than we have established. That is your destiny.*

Looking at both of his wives curiously, he knew they were thinking to themselves, but he had no idea what could've been running through their minds. Deciding to ignore it, he continued to scheme, developing and perfecting his plan for bringing his daughter home.

Landing on the ground after a vicious fistfight with Zorpheus, Russ was breathing heavily and sweating profusely. Having many cuts, abrasions, contusions, and bruises, he looked positively horrible, but Zorpheus looked exactly the same way. Neither warrior gained any ground on the other, as they continued to fight to kill. Zorpheus got in more hits, but Russ hit a lot harder.

Reaching up to wipe a trickle of blood from the corner of his mouth, he stared at Zorpheus from across the huge crater. "What the hell is wrong with you? You're fighting to kill me! Why?" Russ yelled, still unable to figure out why Zorpheus was so adamant about destroying him.

"Because there is something about you that just pisses me off," he returned, folding his arms over his chest, his bionic arm containing several dents.

Scowling, Russ shook his head. "And what would that be?"

"Oh, there's a load of things, I'm sure. Not just one single reason. Maybe it's your goody-goody attitude. Maybe it's the fact that you never bother to refine your fighting style. Or maybe it's the fact that you lead the ladies on like a pack mule with a carrot dangling in the front of it."

"Yeah, sure. How do I lead the ladies on, bigshot? Is it because I don't take advantage of them like you do? Is it because when one approaches me about a relationship, I tell them no, but they insist on pursuing one with me anyway?" he asked, shaking his head. "Even if I'm cold, they won't go away! It's not my fault they can't take no for an answer!"

Zorpheus grinned, then scowled. "Ha! You are so selfish that it's sickening. Even if a lady were desperate for someone to love, you'd turn her away anyway! Don't tell me that you've been living with a house full of women for a year and not ONE has started coming on to you!"

His face becoming downcast, Russ hung his head. "Actually, yeah. One has been chasing me for an entire year so far…"

"It's the one with the purple hair, isn't it?" Zorpheus interrupted.

Looking up at him, he nodded his head. "That's the one. Her name is Aeka, and she is the crown princess of Jurai," he explained. "A relationship with someone like that would be impossible, and you know it."

"Yeah, it would be impossible because of your selfish desires to keep yourself from getting hurt again," he spat. "I've seen the way she looks at you. I had to listen to her pathetic plea to spare your miserable hide. You don't deserve her love, Russ! I commend her for chasing you for so long, putting up with the fact that your head is stuck up your ass so far that you can't see the light of day when it comes to women! You claim to know what's best for them, but all you're doing is dragging them through the mud and the briar bushes. You DISGUST me!" Zorpheus roared.

Russ's face becoming a mask of fury, his ki snapped around him from his emotions getting the better of him. "Shut your face, you bastard! You think it's worth putting her life in danger at every turn?! How many women have you been with that are still alive? Huh?"

"Actually, they're all still alive and, Heh, satisfied," he responded, grinning. "I've never been able to hold onto one for very long, but I make sure they never forget me! Ha ha!"

"Now THAT'S disgusting," Russ snarled, his eyebrows furrowing together. "People should choose one love and stay with her! I'd still be with mine because I loved her like no other, but she was killed, and I never want to feel that kind of pain EVER again! What about Aeka? What happens to her if I die? You think she's going to smile and jump with joy?"

"Listen to yourself. 'What if this happens?' 'What if that happens?' 'Oh, boo hoo, I'm such a loser.' Who the hell freakin' cares about that?! I'm quite sure that girl back there in the real world would prefer dying in your company than living the rest of her life alone, without you. The fact that you can't understand that sickens me even more," Zorpheus explained, growing angry again. "And that is why I must kill you. She'll have no choice but to move on. Maybe she'll find someone who doesn't hurt her as much as you."

"Argh! It's not like she can't go find someone better suited for her! Yes! I am a loser! I'm a risk, a liability, and I know I wouldn't be able to take it if she died because of me like Laurie did. It's for her own good and my own! Besides, her father would never allow it, and he's the king of a huge empire! How the hell am I supposed to compete with something like that?!" Russ yelled back, frustrated.

"YOU'RE NOT EVEN WILLING TO FUCKING TRY TO MAKE IT WORK, YOU JACKASS!" Zorpheus bellowed, clenching his fists together, his eyes a raging inferno of built up emotion.

"I DON'T HAVE A CHOICE, STUPID! You don't understand how a kingdom works, you pompous, arrogant bastard!"

Calming down a bit, Zorpheus took on a more caring demeanor for a second. "Why don't you stop thinking about yourself for one second and think about someone else's feelings for a change? You think she cares about royalty? Look where she lives, for Christ's sake. You think she cares about making her father happy by marrying some putz with a stupid British accent and a load of money? Hell no! She cares about YOU! She'll go through hell or high water to make it work because she's probably that much in love with you. But you don't care about her feelings, do you?" he sneered, grinding his teeth.

Russ shook his head, becoming more irritated by the minute. "Of course I care," he answered, his voice low and defeated. "That's the same argument she uses to try to make me change my mind."

"If you truly cared, you would return her affections and forget about all of your silly apprehensions and fears. But you still can't think of anyone but your own dumb self and push her away like she's some kind of pest!"

"YOU DON'T KNOW ANYTHING!" Russ screamed, launching himself at Zorpheus, starting another flurry of punches and kicks, his energy level continually rising by the minute. Staggering back, Zorpheus managed to parry most of the blows, letting a few slip past his defenses, his face and chest getting nailed several times. Backflipping away, he avoided a ki-enhanced fist that Russ planted into the ground, creating a gigantic explosion, making rocks and other debris go flying everywhere. "You freak, I'm going to tear you apart!" Withdrawing his fist, he again raced at Zorpheus, making his offense far more intense than he had before, but Zorpheus still managed to block and avoid most of the onslaught, zanzokening away to the other side of the fifteen hundred foot crater.

Grinning, but breathing heavily, Zorpheus's eyes flashed a gleam of evilness that Russ hadn't seen before. "Don't fly off the handle when you know you're full of shit."

"You're no telepath, stupid. You haven't figured out that technique yet, so quit fooling yourself," Russ growled, his fist shaking with intensity, ready for another go.

"Hah. You mean that old thing? Who needs it? But about the purple-haired bitch… Aeka? Why don't I just save you all the annoyance and kill her for you? You don't seem to love her, and you say she's annoying you, so I'll be doing you a favor!"

His eyes widened in shock as his jaw dropped in complete surprise, but it quickly went to a rage that Russ had burning inside of him for a long time. Letting out a bloodcurdling scream, Russ's aura engulfed him, causing the ground he stood on to disintegrate, then caving in as he hurled himself at Zorpheus at a speed he never anticipated. "YOU'LL NEVER TOUCH HER, YOU SON OF A BITCH!" he yelled at the top of his voice, burying his fist into Zorpheus's gut, cracking and shattering the remaining bits of armor he had.

Doubling over in pain, Zorpheus dropped to a knee and hurled, spitting up a mouthful of blood, and then howled in agony. However, he didn't have much time to concentrate on the one aching part of his body as Russ's fist found its mark underneath his jaw, sending him high into the sky. Before he knew how far he had gone, he felt another impact on his chest as Russ smashed both of his fists into his chest in a double axe handle, sending him back to the ground. He impacted and created yet another depression in the ground, and he let out a scream of anguish, surprise, and pain.

Russ floated over him in mid-air, breathing heavily, his arms shaking from the rage he felt a moment before. "Don't toy with me," Russ said, his voice low, icy, and deadly.

After a moment, Zorpheus started laughing like a jackal, a joyous grin on his face, mixed with strain, as he pulled himself up and back to his feet. "Who's toying?" I'm merely offering my services in disposing of unwanted trash. Maybe I'll give her a good time before I send her off to the next dimension," he said, then started laughing harder, dropping back to his knees, and clutching his chest in pain.

If Russ could've become the devil, he would have at that moment. Gathering up a full head of steam, screaming like a banshee, he headed straight for Zorpheus, his face contorted into a look of pure hatred, rage, and determination. Both of his fists were outstretched, making him look like Superman as he hurtled downward.

Just before Russ hit him, Zorpheus took one step to his side and stuck out his knee. Seeing it, Russ couldn't stop in time, and he wound up folding himself in half over his knee from the impact. Seizing another opportunity, Zorpheus quickly removed his knee, dropped back a step and punted Russ into the sky, satisfied that he found a worthy distraction to throw Russ off of his game plan. Instantly reaching his height by zanzokening multiple times, he slammed Russ in the back of his head, hard enough just to stop his ascent. Quickly getting under him, he began punching Russ in his face, chest, arms, legs, and any other surface that didn't look damaged. Blood flew off of Russ's body like water as Zorpheus continued to pound him into hamburger. It almost looked like Russ was floating there, but the force of all of Zorpheus's impacts was keeping him airborne.

Russ never even tried to mount a defense, as he was being pummeled like a punching bag. Satisfied that he caused enough damage, Zorpheus appeared above and behind him, pointed both of his feet at Russ's back, then flew at top speed into his spine.

Letting out a yell of agony, Russ flew at the ground at incredible speed and impacted, his body creating a huge, hundred-foot deep trench as his momentum was very, very high. After a quarter mile of skidding, he finally stopped, upside down, with only his calves and feet sticking out of the dirt. It took nearly a minute, but he finally pulled himself out of the ground, his face a complete mess of dirt and abrasions. His left eye was swollen shut and puffy, but he pulled himself back to his feet, ready to continue.

"How much longer until we reach Earth?" Tom barked from his command chair.

"Two hours, thirty three minutes, sir," Sakuya returned, watching the countdown meter.

"Increase power to the engines to nine out of ten," he ordered.

Sakuya looked at him fearfully. "We've never gone that fast, sir. We don't know if the ship can handle the stress."

"This ship was built to handle this sort of thing. May I have nine out of ten please," he returned, his eyes never leaving the monitor that showed the fight between Zorpheus and Russ.

"Yes, sir. Accelerating," she said, feeling the ship shudder slightly as it increased its speed to near maximum. "We will arrive in fifty five minutes at this speed."

"Good. Monitor the engine power output and make sure it stays within acceptable tolerances." Glancing out of the large windows, the colors of hyperspace raced past the hull at incredible speed, as this was the first time he had taken his ship to this level of velocity. A very light vibration was present in the deck plating, but it wasn't bad. The inertial dampeners were the best that were ever built, and he was very proud of everybody who helped build his monstrosity. He knew that it was probably the fastest ship in the galaxy, as he had yet to encounter a race that could match his technology. However, the Jurians had quite a military as well. It was the first time he had seen a ship made out of wood that could survive the rigors of space travel. Nevertheless, even though his ship was technically a warship, the weapons on his hull were to be used for defensive purposes only. He instilled that to all of his crewmembers when they came onboard, and he told them outright that he'd invite them to leave if they ever considered otherwise.

Watching the battle recommence, Tom watched both of their faces with concern. It had been quite a while since he had seen Zorpheus, as both he and Zorpheus were also good friends. Russ and Zorpheus were the best of friends as well, and they always had a good time, or knew how to start having one. Zorpheus, at times, was funny as hell, and Russ would somehow make everything he did even funnier. He could recall times when he literally rolled around on the floor, laughing to the point where tears were flowing out of his eyes and his sides ached. It had been over two years since he had seen those two together, but what he was witnessing was far from what he would've expected from a reunion between those two.

Having been friends for so long, he couldn't figure out why they were trying to kill each other. It just didn't make any sense. Sure, Zorpheus and Russ had quite a few disagreements, argued a lot, and at times, got into fistfights with each other, but not to the point where they'd try to kill each other. He could tell just by the looks on their faces, that they were not fighting to stop each other, but to destroy each other. Listening to their conversation, he could tell that Russ was his normal self, but Zorpheus had changed and had become… hateful. Angry. Mean. Callus. They were all traits that Tom had never seen Zorpheus portray; especially the way he addressed Aeka. He was NEVER cold to a woman. Never. He was very respectful, except when he was being perverted, and he'd always keep his tongue in check. Ever since he had known Zorpheus, he could never recall one instance where he had used the f word. In fact, he swore about as commonly as Russ, and that amounted to almost never. But in watching the fight between the two warriors, he could see a definite change in Zorpheus. It almost looked and sounded like an entirely different person. Tom knew that both Russ and Zorpheus had split ways, but it was on neither good nor bad terms, but how could two years change a man that much? It didn't make any sense.

Drumming his fingers on his chair, he glanced around the bridge, taking in each of the crew's interest in the battle. Everybody was focused on it, wondering who the victor was going to be. None of the crew rooted for one or the other, because they were both equally liked, and a feel of worry was present throughout the room.

One thing Tom was certain of is that they were both going to be severely messed up after their battle. Russ looked to be in worse shape than Zorpheus, and that made his mind wander to Aeka. Remembering her smile when Russ walked into a room, when she waited for him on the bridge after she first arrived, and how excited she felt around Russ, was enough to tell him that she was probably going crazy if they were still living together. He did notice that Aeka and her family were nowhere to be seen, so they must've been somewhere safe. Washu gave him a brief explanation of what was going on and where both Russ and Zorpheus were having their battle, but it still blew his mind that they were in another dimension. That woman was nothing short of genius, and he gave her a lot of credit for coming up with that idea.

But he knew that Princess Aeka must've been going through a very hard time, especially if she was watching the confrontation. She seemed delicate, emotional, and very worried that one day Russ would leave her, even though at the time they weren't a couple. It made his own heart ache a little, as he remembered what Russ told him on many occasions. "Do you think that a woman could even survive with me? Do you think she deserves to watch her love be pounded and beaten up all the time? Do you think it's fair to her to make her stand by and watch as I parish in battle, if I do? Of course not. I'm not looking for love anymore. It just hurts too much," he had said. "In a way, I had a girlfriend, but I was never allowed to be intimate with her. If I were, I probably would've committed suicide after I defeated all of those bandits, who raided her planet, just to be with her. I never want to feel it again. That rage, that pain, was just far too much for me to handle. I know you had a wife, Tom, but she passed away from natural causes, but it's far more difficult to learn that someone was killed or murdered, as their life was taken away not by the hand of God, but by the hand of another mortal, even if you see it coming."

Tom shook his head, thinking about Russ's way of avoiding women. He had so many girls come on to him that he was almost on par with Zorpheus. His cool, calm, caring demeanor went very far in making himself attractive to the opposite sex. Of course, his buff body also did wonders for bringing in the ladies. Zorpheus was more outgoing and liked to have a good time, sometimes, going a little too far, but they were always respectful to everybody and especially the girls that wanted them. Some girls wanted a one-night fling while others were looking for a more long-term relationship. Zorpheus would always turn away the ones who wanted the relationship, as he knew he couldn't take a girl with him on his journey, but Russ would avoid all of it. He'd always politely decline, and a lot of times, would lie and say he was already spoken for. Even then, some of the women after him would really pour on the pressure, just wanting a little fun with him, but he'd always pointedly refuse, and walk away. He almost was a heartbreaker.

Watching on the video monitor, Tom saw Russ remount a desperate offense, showering the area Zorpheus was in with a barrage of blue ki blasts, causing explosion after explosion. Watching them, Tom could also see that each of them had become stronger, faster, and better at their fighting techniques. Zorpheus was always the one to carry a weapon, but mostly for show. "It's cool!" he'd say. "What better way to have a guy keep his distance without a fight than to have a big sword with you? All the cool people carry them! Lina Inverse! Gourry! Hell, even most of the giant mecha anime had swords for their robots! What would they be without their weapon?" But still, this was the first time he had actually seen Zorpheus use his blade. But what blew his mind is when Russ formed a staff out of thin air, resembling a lightsaber, and how Zorpheus's sword was able to stop it. When he was testing different armor for the star destroyer, he had Russ throw small ki blasts at various types of durasteel, and he picked the one that resisted his blast the best. But still, not even that could've held up to a sword slash like the ones Russ had dealt. He heard of the name cortosis ore before, but he had never seen it, or believed that it existed. If he could find a chunk of that metal, he may be able to have his staff analyze it and make a whole new armor plating for his ships. Armor plating that would be capable of withstanding a battle even without shields. That would be cool.

"Tom?"

Snapping out of his random thoughts, he glanced down at his science officer. "Yes, Larry? What is it?"

"Why are they fighting like that? Aren't they supposed to be good friends?"

Nodding his head slowly, his eyes wandered back to the screen. "Yeah. They were friends for as long as I can remember. They split ways due to the difference of an opinion, but I never dreamed they'd want to kill each other at this point. I wish I saw the beginning of the battle," he muttered. "They probably had said what they were tearing each other apart for."

"Do you think his girlfriend is watching the battle?"

Tom grinned. "Unfortunately, she wasn't his girlfriend at the time. I don't know if that fact has changed or not, but I can guarantee that she is completely focused on this fight."

"I hope that this outcome gets resolved soon. I'd really be upset if Russ or even Zorpheus parishes due to their injuries."

"Yeah. I still have Zorpheus's special customized fighter in the hanger bay as well. I never had a chance to give it to him yet," Tom said, keying a command on one of his consoles, bringing up an image of Zorpheus's favorite type of fighter.

Larry sat back in his chair, scratching his head. "This should be over with soon. They're both looking very fatigued."

"I have a feeling that it's still far from over," Tom returned, focusing back on the fight.

Aeka was on her knees, crying, at seeing Russ get hit again and again by Zorpheus. He definitely wasn't gaining the same amount of ground Zorpheus was, but they both were almost equally worn out. Having fought for over an hour, throwing more punches, kicks, and jabs than all the karate matches combined for the past year, she felt as if she were in there as well, her heart and soul aching from seeing her love losing his life. It was almost more than she could bear.

Sasami, Tenchi, and Ryoko were all around her, doing their best to comfort her, but even they were beginning to worry about Russ, as they too, could begin to sense that he was going to lose. They were hitting each other with enough force to destroy a small planet in one shot, and their ki attacks were enough to vaporize anything that was in its path, except for each other. But they could see that Zorpheus was getting in more shots than Russ, and his hits were right on target.

"Aeka! Pull yourself together!" Tenchi said, shaking her, trying to break the mental shell she put around herself. "They're not done yet! Russ can still win this thing!"

"Come on, sister! Please try to relax. Russ is still going strong and he promised us that he wouldn't lose, remember?" Sasami said, hugging her.

"I'm afraid I can't concur with that, Sasami," Washu said, banishing her laptop back into subspace, hanging her head. "He has been taking a beating far more than Zorpheus has, and even though Russ is more powerful, Zorpheus is the better fighter. Russ will lose this confrontation. It is only a matter of time," she said, quietly.

Ryoko looked at her mother in hatred while Sasami looked at her sadly. "What the hell is wrong with you? How the hell could you be so cold to Aeka and Sasami?!"

"I'm only stating a fact, Ryoko. At this rate, Russ will lose. His chances of pulling off a victory keep getting slimmer and slimmer with every blow," Washu said, clenching her hands into fists. "I wish I could do something! But even in their weakened state, they're still far too powerful for even my most powerful weapons. The only thing that I could do is to destroy the both of them, and that is unacceptable. We have to wait for the battle to end before we go in there."

"That's beside the point! You're basically telling Aeka that he's going to die! Don't you have any feelings for her?" Ryoko snapped, seething at Washu's coldness.

"Yes I do!" Washu yelled, tears at the corners of her eyes. "That man has found my son for me, and there is no way that I could even begin to repay that. Do you think that I don't want to go in there and annihilate Zorpheus myself to save Russ's life? No! But if there was a way for me to do it, I WOULD!"

"I think you're full of it, Washu! Even after he found your son, you continued to be arrogant to him and push all of his buttons! You were mean to him on more occasions than I can count! And you expect me to believe that you like him enough to lay down your life for him? Bullshit!"

"I behave like that to him because I like him! You've taken only a half dozen examples of where I tease him and you've blown it far out of proportion. If Aeka didn't want him, I'd be all over him like greased lightning! I've never met a man who was as kind, generous, and easy going as him, not to mention handsome. He knows I tease him because I like him. He's not dense and he figured that out pretty quick, unlike my daughter who jumps to conclusions!" Washu returned, her eyes angry.

"Stop it!" Tenchi shouted. "Stop it right now! That's enough! This isn't the time for this!"

Washu shot Tenchi a look that almost silenced him. "I'm sorry Tenchi. She may be your bride to be, but she is still my daughter!"

Biting his tongue, Tenchi only glared at Washu, but the argument had stopped. Strangely, it had gotten very quiet in the room, except for the sobs from Aeka. Both Russ and Zorpheus were down, barely moving.

Slowly getting to her feet, Aeka's face wet with tears, anger, frustration, and despair, she clenched her jaw, watching Russ and Zorpheus get back to their feet, resuming their fight. "I…"

"Aeka?" Sasami asked, looking at her changing expression. "Aeka, what's wrong?"

"I…" she said again, her arms beginning to shake. "I…"

"Aeka! What is wrong?" Ryoko said, standing in front of her, looking into her eyes, which were ablaze in rage.

"I CAN'T TAKE THIS ANYMORE!!!!!!!!!" she screamed, her green aura flashing around her. "I'VE HAD ENOUGH!"

Backing off several paces from surprise, Sasami fell on her bottom, looking fearfully at her sister. Both Ryoko and Tenchi also backed off, very worried about Aeka.

"Don't do anything hasty, Aeka," Washu warned, stepping over to her. "There isn't anything you can do for Russ right now."

Not even hearing Washu, Aeka continued to energize herself, and then she let out a scream that echoed around the entire lab as she squeezed her eyes shut, the sound of her voice reverberating again and again, resonating off of the walls, the ceiling, the floor, and everything around the room. Becoming engulfed in white light, her clothing changed into her Jurian battle armor, complete with the black streaks on her face, the brown, pink, and purple armor complete and ready. Reopening her eyes, she slowly turned toward the doorway, making her way to the other dimension.

"STOP HER!" Washu shouted, watching both Ryoko and Tenchi change into their battle clothing.

Ignoring the pleas from both Ryoko and Tenchi, she continued to make her way over to the doorway, ready to do battle, or die trying. "Do not stand in my way. This is my choice, and mine alone. That is where I want to be, and there is nothing that you can do to stop me," she said, coldly, her voice the equivalent of ice.

Washu stepped in front of her, challenging her. "I will not let you do something foolish. Listen to your head, not your heart," she said, standing her ground.

Narrowing her eyes at the red haired scientist, Aeka shook her head. "Step aside, or I'll move you myself," she growled.

"I will not."

"Then I will move you," she said, raising her fist, letting it go straight across Washu's face in a powerful backhand, knocking her nearly ten feet away to crash through a shelf, causing the beakers and the wood to fall to the floor in a loud clatter. Glass shards went everywhere and the shelving broke apart from the force of the blow. Looking back toward the door, Aeka continued to advance.

"AEKA!" Tenchi roared, getting in front of her. "You've gone too far! How dare you hit Washu! She's only trying to protect you!"

Her face wavering only slightly, tears still streaming out of her eyes, she shook her head. "Please move Tenchi. I will do the same to you as I did to Washu if you force my hand."

"Listen to yourself! Are…" he started, but Aeka put her hand in front of his face.

"I'm going to join the man I love. I want to be with him more than anything, and not even you will stop me," she said, her other hand still clenched into a fist at her side. "Please move, Tenchi."

Tenchi looked hard into her eyes, seeing the fire that burned there, the passion that existed there, and the love that flowed from her. Listening to his head, he shook his head. "Russ can still win this on his own. If you go in there and Zorpheus takes notice of you, he may kill you. That's not fair to Russ. He would want you to live, no matter what happens. He's told you that so many times that I don't think it could've been counted."

"It doesn't matter," she said, looking down at the floor. "That is what I want. I'm tired of listening to people tell me what is best for me. It's like people don't believe that I can think for myself. I'm tired of it. I'm going to do what I want, this time." Dropping back a step, she took up a fighting stance. "Stand aside, Tenchi."

Ryoko phased beside him, her orange sword humming quietly. "You'll have to get past both of us to get to Russ, Aeka. We love you and will do anything to protect you, and this is a part of that love," she said, her face determined. "There is no way in hell I'm letting you in that room without a fight."

"You'd be in there if Tenchi was the one fighting, isn't that right?" she asked, looking at Ryoko. "What would you do if I were the one stopping you?"

Hesitating for a few moments, Ryoko lowered her sword. "I'd do the same thing you are, Aeka."

Tenchi looked at his fiancée in surprise. "You're not seriously thinking about letting her in there, are you?" he asked.

Looking over at him, she smiled. "It's her turn to do what she wants. Who are we to stop her?"

"I will not let her in there. She's just as important to me as you are," Tenchi said, still standing ready. "And what of her sister? The circumstances are way different at this point."

"It doesn't matter. Aeka loves him. That's more than enough for her," Ryoko returned, letting her sword disappear. "I will not stand in your way, Aeka, but I will try one more time to talk you out of it."

Aeka looked at Ryoko, the tears still flowing. "Thank you for understanding. I never would've thought that you'd be the one to encourage me to follow my heart," she said, taking a step toward the door.

Tenchi once again got in front of her. "Stop, Aeka," he warned.

Reaching out to him, Aeka grabbed his clothes, lifted him effortlessly off of the floor, and moved him aside, tossing him about five feet away. Tenchi had landed on his feet, but he was utterly surprised at the strength the princess now possessed. She was powerful before, almost powerful enough to be the strongest Jurian alive, but now, she was far beyond that. Her strength had gone much further than what it used to be, and he knew that it was her training with Russ that had done it.

Again, running in front of her, Tenchi stood firm, preparing to fight, ready to do whatever it took to stop Aeka from going into that room. "Look at what you did to Washu," Tenchi growled, thrusting his finger over to the scientist, who had finally gotten back to her feet. She had several cuts on her arms from the broken glass and a large bruise on her face, but she looked very worried and unhappy. "This isn't you at all!" he yelled.

Looking over to her, Aeka then looked back at Tenchi, her facial expression remaining unchanged. "I'm not the same, Tenchi. I'm in love now, and as you know, love changes a person. You're trying to stop me from being with the man I love, and I won't allow it. There is only one man who can make or break me at this point, and he's there in that other room, getting the life beat out of him. I will not watch this any more. I will stop it myself," she said, regally, maintaining a high level of pride and dignity.

Tenchi shook his head. "Aeka, you're…"

"Let her go, Tenchi."

Looking off to the side, Tenchi's face went to surprise. "Washu?"

"She is a grown woman, able to make her own decisions. We've been treating her like a child, making decisions for her and other things. It's not fair to her to keep her from what she wants most," she explained, rubbing her bruise. "Let her go, Tenchi."

"She'll die if she goes in there!" Tenchi yelled. "Is that…"

"Knock it off. It's not our decision to make if she wants to go in there or not, to be with the man she loves. To be honest, I'd do the same thing."

"Me too," Ryoko said, looking at Tenchi.

"Me three," Sasami said, smiling up at her sister. "Be careful, Aeka."

"I would as well," Kiyone said, stepping up to Tenchi.

"Same here," Mihoshi said, looking dead serious.

"Are you all nuts?" Tenchi said, finding himself at odds with all the girls in the room. "It'd be different if it were someone else besides Russ in there!"

"How would it be different? Would it be that our chances of victory being higher? That doesn't matter to us, Tenchi," Washu said, laying a hand on his shoulder. "It could be the most powerful being in the universe, and we'd face it to be with the one we fell in love with. Love is one of the most powerful and unpredictable emotions of all. Let her go, Tenchi." Washu smiled, and then nodded her head at Aeka. "Please be careful."

"I will, Washu. Thank you, and I'm sorry for hitting you," she said, hanging her head shamefully.

"It's okay. You know that I always keep something in the lab for little injuries. But I needed that to realize what he meant to you. I now know there is nothing that will stop you. But, please, be careful."

Aeka stood tall, looking at the holographic room one more time. "I'll be back soon," she said, smiling.

Sasami ran up to her, looking into her eyes. "Don't get hurt, Aeka," she said, grabbing her sister in a hug.

Resting her hand on Sasami's back, she gently rubbed for a few moments, until Sasami pulled away, smiling, but having tears run out of the corners of her eyes. Marching the rest of the way to the doorway, she opened it and stepped through.

"Just seeing you is making me hungry for a nice, juicy steak."

"If they had a bun big enough, you could pass for hamburger yourself," Russ said, grinning, standing a dozen yards away from Zorpheus, waiting to restart the fight again.

"Maybe I'll go out for one of the two when I'm done pulverizing you," Zorpheus said sarcastically, letting an arrogant grin creep onto his lips.

"Hah. Says you. I'd say we're at a stalemate, since it seems that I'm still stronger than you."

"You should take a look at yourself in the mirror, pal. I'd hate to feel how you look right now. If this is such a stalemate, then why have you, for the most part, been my personal punching bag?"

Russ shook his head. "I haven't been, and besides, you look half naked right now due to your lack of body armor. I still can't figure out why you even use it, since it doesn't seem to do anything against someone like me."

"It's a pity that one of your limited fashion sense cannot appreciate my wild and sexy combat armor," Zorpheus said, trying to keep himself from laughing.

Rolling his eyes, Russ then shook his head. "Alright, Fanboy. Whatever you say," he said, looking away for a moment. Out of nowhere, Russ threw his palm at Zorpheus, releasing a large, green ki ball.

Blurring out of the way, the blast smashed into a large boulder from what remained of the mountain, disintegrating it and causing a small explosion. Floating in midair, he noticed that Russ didn't see him right away. Grinning, he began to charge up a new type of ki blast that he had been practicing on rare occasion. Rotating his arms around in circles, looking like the wax on, wax off move out of The Karate Kid, blue lightning bolts zapped around him, gathering in intensity as many white balls of pure energy seemed to appear out of nowhere, instilling Zorpheus with their power.

Looking up, Russ could see him doing something strange and could feel his power build higher and higher, but the move looked strangely familiar. "I've seen this before…"

Cupping his hands to his side, an evil grin on his face, he thrust his hands forward, releasing a pure white beam of powerful energy. "HADOUUUUUUU-KEN!" he yelled, sending it toward Russ.

Widening his eyes, Russ put his arms up to block the Hadouken, and when it came into contact with his arms, it exploded around him, pushing him back about three hundred feet. If it weren't for a ki shield he put up around himself, he would've been burned to a crisp, as the technique was radically different from any normal ki attack. His feet left skid marks from where he stood a moment ago, and a massive depression created a big bowl from where the attack detonated.

"Okay, this is taking fanboyism to a whole new level," he mumbled. "But I have my own fanboy attacks too. Watch this," he said, bringing his hands in front of him, cupping them together, and relaxing his body. Glancing up at Zorpheus, he grinned. "Darkness beyond blackness, deeper than the deepest night…" he recited, black energy coming seemingly out of nowhere, mixing with Russ's yellow aura, the pulsing sound increasing as the wind picked up, blowing away from him.

"Not only are you stupid enough to make a ki technique out of a spell from an anime show," Zorpheus yelled, looking concerned. "But you have the nerve to model it after THAT spell?!"

"…King of darkness who shines like gold upon the sea of chaos. I swear allegiance to thee, and I call upon thee! Let the fools who stand before me be destroyed by the power you and I possess!" he yelled, a huge black ball gathering in his hands that were now positioned over his head. His face was contorted with strain, as he fought to keep control of the enormous amount of energy that gathered there. "GIGAAAAAAA SLLLLLLLLAVE!" he yelled, throwing the huge ball at Zorpheus.

"Unlike that clod Shabranigdo, I'm not going to just stand here and take this!" he yelled, moving out of the way. However, he misjudged the speed at which the ball was heading at him and it clipped the edge of his real arm, burning away some of his encounter suit and melting the rest of it to his skin, causing him to yell in pain. "Ah shit! That HURTS!"

The Gigaslave spell continued off of the planet and into space, traveling unobstructed all the way to the asteroid belt. Finally losing cohesion, the blast detonated, resulting in an absolutely colossal explosion that rocked the cosmos. The blast radius continued to grow in size until the point where it could be seen from Earth. The shockwave from the blast completely destroyed both Jupiter and Mars, and the edge of the blast continued to make its way toward the planet. Finally reaching it, the entire Earth shook from the explosion, knocking Russ off of his feet, sandblasting the side of the planet, peeling away every bit of living organic material, leaving nothing but a dusty, lunar-like surface.

Zorpheus didn't waste any time from Russ's disorientation. Flying at Russ, yelling like a savage, he stopped directly in front of Russ's face. Instead of pulling back his fist or foot for a punch or a kick, he grinned, letting out a large globe of blue energy, expanding from where he stood, blowing Russ back several dozen meters.

Skidding to a stop, Russ dropped to one knee, breathing heavily. "I hate that damn bugzapper technique of yours," he growled, wiping away a gash on his forehead.

"Heh. And wouldn't you know it, after all this time, I still have wonderful new things to show you!" he yelled, charging up a small ball of highly concentrated energy. Thrusting both of his hands out in front of him, he pushed a small, red ball at Russ at a low speed.

Watching the ball head toward him, Russ didn't bother checking the energy output of it. "This isn't very impress…" he started to say as he slapped the ball, trying to send it out of the way. Going up with the force of the Gigaslave itself, the tiny red ball detonated, completely engulfing both Russ and Zorpheus. The radius of the blast expanded out to about a mile, remained for nearly a full minute, changing from red, to orange, and back again. After a minute, the ball finally started to dissipate, revealing all the damage that was done. Russ was lying in the middle of a huge bowl, the heat of the Itsumashazelukuno bomb melting all the sand and clay in the ground into dirty glass. Almost not able to move anymore, Russ started to get up, and then collapsed again, rolling onto his back. "I LOVE this," he muttered, looking at the dusty sky.

Zorpheus wasn't much better off, as he too was caught in the explosion, lying flat on his back, smoking. Trying to drag himself to his feet, the glass crunching under his weight, he got himself up to one knee, breathing heavily, trying to shake the disorientation out of his head. "Dammit, I forgot how big the blast radius was on that thing," he muttered to himself. Reaching his full height once more, he grinned. "And can you believe it? I still have more stuff to show you!"

Forcing himself to stand up to get out of a venerable position, he remained slouched over, keeping his left hand over his thigh, which had a deep gash, seeping red with crimson through his fingers. "What more could you possibly have to show me?" Russ asked, not really caring.

"Aw, what's the matter? Is it nap time for you already? Maybe now you realize that raw power doesn't mean diddly squat if you don't have many colorful ways to use it."

"I still have more techniques to use, but not all of my abilities have been refined solely for battle. There are other uses for ki."

"Humph. What kind of Saiyan are you, anyway? I'm half human, and I have more battle lust than you do. Heh, well, I have more of ANY kind of lust than you do."

Russ rolled his good eye, as the other one swelled shut again. "Stop talking about the size of your penis, you pervert. I'm not interested in hearing about it."

"Oh, so it's penis envy now, eh?!" he yelled, running forward once again, looking about ready to plant his fist in Russ's gut.

Watching Zorpheus head at him, Russ positioned himself to block the shot, but he wound up feeling something smash into the back of his head, causing him to pitch forward and fall flat on his face in the dirt. Dust and gravel flew out from under him from the impact, and Zorpheus slowed down to stop in front of him. Groaning in pain, he took about ten seconds to return to his feet. "Oww. What the hell was that? You have someone else here with you?" Russ snapped, looking behind him, and then back at Zorpheus. "I didn't feel anything behind me except for that blow."

"Another present from the planet Xnafu. That bomb technique was the other one, from my latest female companion," he said, bouncing his eyebrows.

"You screw up another one?" Russ said, chuckling. "I'm not surprised."

"Nah. I told her I had to come here and kick your ass. She understood."

"Yeah, she's really screwed up. You have that effect on people," Russ returned. "I may look like crap, but I still have enough fight left in me to beat you and return to the family."

"Says you. This is hardly fun anymore. I've worn out my favorite toy, it seems. You can barely fight back the way you are now." Quickly jumping forward, he brought his foot up in between Russ's legs, nailing him in the mean bean machine. As Russ's knees knocked together, his face turning purple from the intense pain, Zorpheus shrugged his shoulders. "As if you ever really used it. Maybe you could piss out of your butt instead," he taunted, picking up Russ and throwing him into the air like a volleyball.

Regaining his bearings just as Zorpheus got to his height, they began to exchange a flurry of kicks and punches as they spiraled upward, their flight paths marked by yellow streaks and sonic shockwaves from all the blows.

Down on the ground, the phantom door opened, letting in an incredibly bright burst of green aura. Standing there at ground level, letting the door close behind her, Aeka, fully dressed in her armor, stood ready, her face showing nothing but hatred and rage toward Zorpheus.

"AEKA?!" Russ shouted, stopping his offense and turning his attention to her. "What the HELL are you doing in here?!"

Grinning, Zorpheus answered Russ's question. "Giving me an opening, of course!" Clapping his fists together, energy glowing intensely around both his hands, he brought them over his head and then down on the back of Russ's neck. The energy in his fists exploded on Russ, making his descent downward much faster than it normally would have. Russ crashed into the ground and made another large crater on the lunar landscape.

Seeing this, Aeka's energy exploded around her in a brilliant green aura. "DON'T YOU HURT HIM ANYMORE!" she screamed, leaping off of the ground and heading straight at Zorpheus at top speed, her fist glowing with energy as she drove it straight at Zorpheus's face.

Zorpheus grinned, watching her with interest. "What is this? A girl scout trying to sell me cookies for a merit badge?" he teased, easily leaning out of the way of the punch.

"I'll kill you!" she yelled, withdrawing her fist and sending it again and again at Zorpheus, going as fast as her body would allow. "How could you do that to him?!"

Weaving in and out of her blows effortlessly, he continued to grin. "Because the guy is a selfish cocktease, little prissy princess."

"I LOVE THAT MAN!" she shouted, sending a small green ball of energy at Zorpheus. "He loves me too! He told me he does!"

Slapping the ball into orbit, Zorpheus shook his head. "He's never told you that. I know him well enough to know that he'd never say, 'I love you,' to another woman. And even if he has, it was probably only to keep you from pestering him. That man can't bring himself to love anyone anymore. How many times has he shrugged you off Princess? Hmmm?"

"It doesn't matter! He said he was crazy about me and that's all I need!" she yelled, getting in close again, restarting a flurry of punches and kicks. Zanzokening behind Zorpheus, she tried to bury her fist in his spine.

Dodging all of her punches and kicks, he whirled around and caught her fist with his bionic hand. "Sheesh, it's no wonder you're still after him. You're too stupid and stubborn to give up. Maybe a good slap will knock some sense into you!" he yelled, opening up his real hand and letting it go straight across Aeka's face, his hand leaving a dark red imprint of itself on her cheek.

Screaming from the shock, she put her hand over the imprint of Zorpheus's hand. "How DARE you!" she snarled, bringing her foot up in between Zorpheus's legs.

Watching her foot collide with his ever-present ki barrier, Zorpheus frowned. "You know, you really know how to take the fun out of things." Still holding onto her hand, he doubled up a fist and let his real hand go across her head in a backhand. Jerking her forward, he buried his knee in her gut, and then released her hand. Doubling up his hands together, he moved over Aeka's hunched body and let a double axe handle go in the middle of her back, sending her down to the ground.

Impacting on the ground, she bounced off of it, flying back into the air about ten feet, then hit the dirt again, remaining motionless.

"AEKA!" Misaki shouted, jumping right out her throne.

"Get my ship ready for departure, NOW!" Asuza boomed, also rising out of his throne. "We're leaving immediately to Earth! Ready my personal escort fleet!"

Two guards ran out of the room to relay the message as Funaho, Asuza, and Misaki all made their way out of the throne room, heading to the transporter pad. Azaka and Kamidake followed, flanking the royal family on either side. A computer screen floated with them, continuing to display the ongoing battle between Zorpheus, Russ, and now Aeka.

Misaki looked very upset, as she saw how Zorpheus disposed of her without even trying. She was very worried as to what was going to happen next. She tried not to think about her daughter losing her life, as that was far too traumatic for even her to handle.

The phantom door reopened, letting in the rest of the family. They all ran up to Aeka, and both Tenchi and Ryoko placed themselves in between Zorpheus and Aeka, intending to try to protect her. Somehow, after a few moments, Aeka managed to return to her feet, a trickle of crimson running from the corner of her mouth.

"Heh, Heh, Heh. The ants try to mount a defense against my crushing heel. This is just sickeningly noble, heroic, and disgustingly futile. You know, I was originally going to give her the good time Russ never would, but I wouldn't want the kids to see it, so I'll just cut to the chase right here," he said, raising his finger and pointing it at Aeka. "Goodbye, annoying pest. You should be thanking me. I will save you from a miserable break-up." His fingertip began to glow purple as the energy charged up, and he gave them all a sadistic grin. "BANG!"

Russ, lying in his crater, saw Zorpheus point his finger at Aeka, and he instantly knew what he was doing. Exploding out of his depression as fast as he could go, he raced against the speed of the beam, trying to head it off. He could see it getting closer and closer, as he too, got closer and closer to the beam. Reaching out as far as his arm would go, extending his fingertips to stop the bulk of the blast, he saw it pass by, missing it by the width of a millimeter. It singed his fingertips and his expression when to pure horror, as he knew he didn't make it in time. Looking down toward the family, Russ could only watch, as he didn't have enough time to focus for the instantaneous movement ability. "LOOK OUT!" he screamed, seeing Tenchi put up his lighthawk wings.

Tenchi didn't stand in the way of the blast itself, but he put one of the wings in between the beam and Aeka. In almost an instant, the beam reached him and contacted the lighthawk wing, and it passed right through it, as if it wasn't even there. The lighthawk wing broke apart like a piece of glass, shattering on a hard floor.

Continuing on, the beam reached its intended target and found its mark on the right side of Aeka's chest, blowing a hole through her about an inch in diameter, just over her right breast. Her face was frozen into shock, as was everybody else's. Russ stared at her, his jaw hanging open, and the rest of the family looked at her as she looked down on herself, seeing the blood pour forth from the open wound, and then she collapsed to the ground, flat on her back.

"Ding, dong, the Queen is dead. LONG LIVE THE KING!" Zorpheus yelled, striking several poses reminiscent of Hulk Hogan. However, something clicked inside of his head, as realization had set in over what just happened. "What the fuck did I just do?" he asked himself, his eyes and face in utter shock and horror. A moment after saying that, a headache unlike one he ever felt before crashed through his mind, causing him to scream in agony.

Sasami looked up at him, feeling a change beginning to take place. "Something is wrong with Zorpheus! Look!" she yelled pointing at him, however, everybody was ignoring her as they were tending to Aeka.

Floating in midair, Russ saw Aeka fall to the ground, blood dripping from the gaping hole in her chest, and upon seeing the horrid spectacle, something inside of his brain snapped. His aura flaring around him, he turned around and sped at Zorpheus faster than he had ever moved before, surrounding his fist with golden energy, letting it go straight into Zorpheus's face.

Still screaming from the battle going on in his mind, Zorpheus's head snapped back and came forward, blood gushing out of his nose. He opened his eyes and looked into Russ's face, which was contorted into a look that he had never actually seen before, as he wasn't there when Laurie was vanquished. Russ's eyes were on fire, and he could see an incredible amount of emotion built up within them. Seeing Russ put his fists over his head, he didn't even have the strength to mount a defense, and he saw both fists crash down onto his chest, getting caught in a huge Masenko beam, sending him to the ground and burying him from the impact.

"Lady Tokimi?" D3 asked his goddess, who looked to be straining herself. "What is wrong?"

"This is amazing," she said, concentrating hard, sweat beading on her forehead. "Zorpheus is resisting my mind enhancement."

"How is that possible? Nobody has ever been able to undo something you've done."

"I know. It doesn't seem possible, but he's overcoming it. But it doesn't matter now anyway," she said, smiling. "They will destroy each other in a few minutes."

D3 nodded his head as he turned his attention back to his monitor.

Turning around, Russ flew to the ground at top speed, stopping only a foot above the dirt, then landing hard. Racing over to Aeka and the family, they all looked up at him with fear in their faces and despair in their hearts, as they knew Aeka was dying.

"Aeka! Oh my god, Aeka… why the hell did you come in here?!" Russ asked, trying to keep his emotions buried under his poker face as he knelt down, taking Aeka's hand in his own, gently caressing it. Washu was over Aeka, putting pressure on her wound, trying to stop the bleeding, saying nothing, completely focused on trying to save Aeka's life.

She coughed, spitting up a mouthful of blood. "I… wanted to be here with you," she said, softly, and then smiled, a happy, satisfied smile. "I want to be with you for the rest of my life, and I came here to help you."

"You stupid girl," Russ said, his hands shaking violently from the mental stress. "I told you to stay out of here."

Still smiling, Aeka reached up and caressed Russ's face. "I know. I just wanted… to be with you," she said, her eyes getting heavy. She moaned in pain, the tears running down her cheeks, the blood running down her chin. "That's all I ever wanted."

"Not again! Not this again!" Russ yelled, his hands shaking so violently that he looked like he was being electrocuted. "Don't die, Aeka. Don't die because of me!"

Smiling, she sniffled. "I'm so happy… that the last thing I'll get to see… is you," she whispered. "I love you, Russ." Her hand going limp, Russ felt it slide out of his own hand and fall to the ground.

"Aeka?! AEKAAAAAAAAAAAA!" Sasami screamed, horrified that her sister, who she had known for her entire life, which was her mother when her real mom wasn't there, her sister, and her best friend for the many years of her life, was now lying lifeless in front of her. "NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!"

Tenchi grabbed Sasami and held her tightly, tears running down his own face. "Oh my god, Aeka. This can't be real. IT CAN'T BE!"

Mihoshi and Kiyone both started crying hysterically, scarcely able to believe that the Princess of Jurai was now lying dead in front of them. They had known her for the last several years, living with her and visiting with her as if she were a normal person. They had the best time of their lives with her, and the thought of never spending another day with her was too much to bear.

Washu stepped back, her green eyes wide, as she shook her head back and forth, her face a mask of horror. "No…" she whispered. "Come on, Aeka." Getting down on her knees, she connected up a special life support cable to her computer, that she withdrew out of subspace. Typing at a speed that would've made Data from Startrek envious, she tuned it to Aeka and tried to make it revive her. Each shock, each test, each and every attempt to bring her back failed, and after nearly a minute of trying, she backed off, shaking her head. "I CAN'T DO ANYTHING!" she screamed, tears pouring out of her eyes.

Standing by, completely in shock, Ryoko seemingly had no reaction. Her face was pale and devoid of life or any kind of sense, as she could not believe that her lifelong rival and most recently, her best friend, had just passed away. Collapsing to her knees, she buried her face in her hands, crying uncontrollably, pounding the ground in frustration. "IT'S NOT FAIR!"

Some distance away, Zorpheus finally managed to dig himself out and he took off into the air once again, looking down at the scene he just created. The throbbing pain was still in his head, but he felt strangely disgusted from killing her. But another feeling was pulling at him even harder, and it made him look down at Russ.

Getting to his feet, keeping his movements very slow, Russ looked at each of the family members, burning their looks into his memory. Each of them turned to look at him in turn, some mixed with rage, some with the look of despair, and some that looked on him with pity and hatred.

"Tenchi," Russ said, keeping his voice low. "Stay here with Aeka. Protect them until this is finished. It will only take a minute. I guarantee it."

Looking at Russ, they could see his energy start burning around him, much like when Goku first approached Frieza for the first time. White flames marked his outline, and when the family saw his eyes, they knew that he was slowly losing his mind, his sanity, and the remaining shreds of his humanity. He was becoming what everybody feared most, that of a true Super Saiyan. A ruthless, heartless, radically efficient killing machine could only remotely describe what Russ was becoming, and it scared the hell out of the entire family. His fists were clenched at his sides, so tightly that blood was seeping from them, as his fingernails dug holes into the palms of his hands.

"What are you going to do?" Tenchi said, his voice wavering, as he clutched the little princess, who was still crying heavily.

"I will finish this, once and for all. I will be back in a moment. Use your lighthawk wings to shield everybody from the blast. There is one final thing I will do once this is over," he said, walking away, making a slow, purposeful walk toward Zorpheus.

"You just can't get enough of me, can you?" Zorpheus asked, grinning. "Perhaps it is time to end this. You, the Brady Bunch over there, and this ridiculous excuse for a battle room will be annihilated shortly." Clenching his fists, he began to power up to his absolute maximum, howling and screaming as the earth below him shook in the wake of his energy. However, Russ didn't seem to be fazed at all, as he continued to slowly put distance between him and the family. Suddenly feeling a tinge of fear, he knew something was wrong, because he had never seen Russ look like that before in his entire life.

"…Fine. Don't leave any famous last words. Prepare to feel my wrath!" he screamed, bringing his hands in front of him, making two fists, putting one on top of the other, as if holding something. Several flashes later, a white outline of a sword appeared, the blade facing upward about three feet, and Zorpheus began focusing all of his energy into his signature move.

Still walking, his yellow aura exploded around him, destroying the ground he walked on, burning bigger and brighter than it ever had before. A blue lightning bolt crossed his vision, but it never returned. Driving his energy up to his maximum, he continued to walk forward, slowly, methodically. Finally coming to a stop, he looked up at Zorpheus with a look that could've frozen all seven layers of hell at once. "You. Are. DEAD!" Russ roared, his aura doubling in size, causing the entire planet to begin to break apart, as it was barely able to stay together from the sheer amount of energy Russ was producing.

"This is wrong," Zorpheus said, feeling Russ's energy reach his level, and then blow right by it, effortlessly. "He was never this strong!" However, he knew that his signature move was more powerful than Russ's, and he perfected it a long time before Russ made his. "Prepare yourself, Russ!" he shouted. A white ball of energy began forming in front of the white sword, with little white balls of energy coming out of Zorpheus and infusing itself into the ball.

Tenchi stood in front of Aeka, his lighthawk wings shielding the family from their auras. He was straining hard, his forehead dripping with sweat, his eyes stinging from all the tears he had shed. Grunting and straining against the tremendous pressure, he almost gave way, until he felt a hand touch his shoulder. Ryoko looked into his face, tears streaming out of her eyes, but she smiled. Nodding his head, he knelt down and allowed Ryoko to stand behind him, infusing him with her power. The lighthawk wings tripled in size, blocking out everything that was happening, allowing Tenchi to relax a little from the massive rush of energy he received from Ryoko.

The rest of the family was watching Russ, watching him push himself beyond his limits and beyond anything they've ever imagined, even in their wildest dreams. There was just so much energy coming from the two combatants that it overwhelmed them.

Placing both of his hands out in front of him, Russ began focusing his energy into his own signature attack, letting the yellow ball grow and expand in size very quickly, blue lighting dancing around the outer diameter of it, until it was ready. "You son of a bitch! NOW DIE! BUSTER CANNON FIRE!" he screamed, his voice going to the far reaches of the planet, as the yellow beam shot out of the ball, surrounded in blue lightning.

"I'll SEE YOU IN HELL!" Zorpheus yelled, shoving his sword forward. "HOLY RAZE!" A brilliant, pure white beam exploded from in front of Zorpheus, heading straight for Russ's cannon.

Both beams met in the middle, slamming into each other with enough force to destroy the surface of the Earth, causing volcanic eruptions for miles around. The shockwave impacted against Tenchi's lighthawk wings, causing them to blink from the incredible amount of energy that slammed into them. Both Ryoko and him strained, trying to keep the blades from collapsing, and they just barely recovered, letting a little of the blast through, kicking up the dust around them.

Both Russ and Zorpheus screamed at the very top of their voices, straining to overcome their opponent's beam. The sound from the two weapons was deafening, as they could barely hear themselves yell. Raising his power just a little more, Zorpheus made his beam a little bigger, sending a pulse down the length of his blast, slamming into the buster cannon and forcing it back a little. "You will not survive!"

Forcing his energy higher, Russ pushed back against Zorpheus's attack, keeping both beams equally spaced. However, little by little, Zorpheus's beam was gaining ground, forcing him back.

"COME ON, RUSS!" Ryoko screamed, straining to just hold back the force of their energy. "YOU HAVE TO WIN!"

"I believe in you, Russ!" Sasami yelled, choking back her tears. "I forgive you!"

Screaming louder, Russ shoved more energy out of his hands and into his beam, forcing a huge bulge of energy down the length of his blast, forcing Zorpheus's attack back, regaining some ground. His face was nothing but a mask of fury, as he looked like a lion preparing to kill his prey.

Zorpheus felt the added strain on his own beam, and he again raised his power beyond his maximum, forcing Russ's beam to stop advancing, and turning the tables again. "I WILL NOT LOSE!"

Watching the beam get closer and closer, Russ could feel himself slipping away. "You took the only woman to ever capture my heart away from me!" he shouted, fighting on. "It doesn't matter what happens to me now. I WILL STOP YOU!" he screamed.

Sensing something going crazy inside of his opponent, Zorpheus felt that rush of fear enter his mind again as he recovered from the mind enhancement. "What the hell?"

Continuing to scream in pain, agony, and despair, Russ began to glow a brilliant golden color. Not his aura, but his body as a whole. The buster cannon's ball began to come apart, forming into something entirely different and new. After a moment, it formed into a parabolic dish, about thirty feet in diameter, with Russ at the very back. Strangely enough, the buster cannon continued to erupt from the center of it, keeping Zorpheus's beam at bay.

"What the hell are you doing?!" Zorpheus yelled, feeling Russ's energy shoot way up. "You're going to explode if you keep that up!"

Not hearing him, or not caring, Russ continued to build up every joule of energy his body had left, preparing to force it out all at once. The dish finally formed and banged into place, and a blue outline streaked around the outer edge of it, forming four, bright blue points, evenly spaced around the dish, still connected by the solid blue line that traced around the outer perimeter. "My life doesn't matter anymore," Russ said, looking at Zorpheus through the beams. "I will kill you. That I promise, even if it kills me too," he said, the blue lights becoming brighter has his body became almost pure energy. "Violent Heart."

The fabric of reality seemed to bend and fold around the explosion that erupted out of the circular dish. The four points of blue light shot out four small beams to a central point, about twenty feet in front of the bowl, and a tremendously powerful, solid yellow beam exploded out of the center of the dish, meeting the blue points, and combining. The buster cannon discontinued as the Violent Heart attack took its place, the head of the beam a blue circle, attached by the four smaller streaks of blue light that rode alongside the yellow blast. It looked like a miniature death star superlaser, except with blue and yellow instead of green.

"SUPER KAIOKEN!" Zorpheus screamed, his aura changing from yellow to red, feeling a massive upsurge of energy and a radical amount of pain as his attack tripled in size and power. The extreme bulge of the beam raced down and met the Violent Heart head-on.

Katsuhito looked up from his paperwork on his table, his cup of tea showing vibrations in the liquid. "This is it," he said, aloud.

What happened next nothing short of impossible. The Violent Heart didn't even slow down when the bulk of Zorpheus's beam slammed into it. It forced it back at such a radical speed that it may as well not even have been there. Russ's scream was drowned out by the incredible amount of noise, shaking, and power that was being produced from his body. His hands began to burn and blister, unable to withstand the sheer amount of energy he was forcing through them. His body began to disintegrate, blood bursting out of his veins over several parts of his body, squirting into the ground and then vaporizing, not able to exist so close to the attack. The sky parted, revealing outer space through the blue atmosphere, and all the clouds seemed to retreat all the way to the horizon and beyond. The ground in front of him became a canyon nearly a mile wide, and a mile deep.

"This can't be happening!" Zorpheus screamed, seeing the beam come straight at him. "IT'S COMING TOO FAST!" All he could do was watch the bulk of the beam reach him and overtake him, feeling such an incredible amount of pain from the blast that he could feel himself coming apart. His scream was silenced as the beam hit him, his Holy Raze vanishing from sight.

The entire surrounding area became a blinding light, causing everybody except for Tenchi and Ryoko to shield their eyes, turning away from the scene.

About a minute later, the rumbling ceased, the light returned to normal, and it became deathly quiet. Dust was still blowing about where the final attack had taken place, and nobody could sense anything. The battle between the two most powerful warriors in existence had finally concluded.

Letting his lighthawk wings vanish, Tenchi dropped to one knee, breathing heavily. "That was incredible," he choked out, trying to catch his breath.

Ryoko fell onto his back, also breathing very heavily. "It's over."

"Yes." Standing up again, he slowly turned around and looked at Aeka's fallen body, her face peaceful, but covered in violence too. She looked asleep, but she also looked tortured. Leaning down, he carefully put his arms under her, lifting her up to carry her out of the room. "We… should tell her parents," Tenchi said, softly.

Nobody cried as they looked at Aeka, feeling the sadness, but unable to act on it.

"What's that?" Sasami said, feeling something odd, looking toward the dust cloud.

"What do you mean, Sasami?" Washu asked, looking lost and hopeless.

"Look!" she said, pointing at a silhouette of a man.

"No way…" Tenchi said, his eyes wide.

Russ remained standing, his arms still outstretched, as if he were a statue. Letting his arms drop to his sides, he slowly turned around, no longer a super saiyan. His hair and eyebrows had returned to black, and his eyes did as well. He looked much smaller and frailer than ever before, as he limped his way over to the family, dragging his foot that had the gouge in it, blood dripping from nearly every surface on his body. His clothes were tattered and shredded, and his blue undershirt with his pants was the only pieces of his gi that remained.

Tenchi and Ryoko both looked at him in surprise and terror, as they couldn't believe what they were seeing. "Russ?" Ryoko said, not sure if it was really him.

Ignoring her, Russ slowly made his way past her and stopped in front of Tenchi. "Put her down, please," he requested, breathing heavily.

"Why?" he asked, not sure why he asked that himself.

"Please put her down," Russ asked again, barely able to stand as he swayed from side to side with the wind. He almost looked like he was going to fall over at any second.

Trusting him, Tenchi knelt down and very gently, laid Aeka back down on the ground. Looking into her face once more, Russ closed his eyes, raising his blistered hands, palms outward, toward Aeka. "Now get back."

"What are you going to do?!" Washu yelled, looking at him. "You're in no shape to do anything!"

Again, ignoring her, Russ concentrated. Everybody held his or her breath collectively, watching, waiting to see what he was going to do. After nearly a solid minute of concentrating, he began to glow, a soft white glow that seemed to emit a holy light, but not like Zorpheus's attack. Opening his eyes, he looked down at Aeka's form, and released his energy in a soft beam that entered Aeka's body, causing her to glow along with him. Small bubbles of color rode the beam into Aeka's body, coming from Russ's own tattered body.

Sasami gasped, watching her sister. The gaping hole over her chest was slowly disappearing, as were the bruises she suffered at the hands of Zorpheus. It was slow, methodical, and miraculous, but her sister was being put back to normal somehow. The noise was a very quiet and peaceful hum, as they watched Russ pour the last of his energy into Aeka's body, healing her, and trying to revive her.

"Come on," Russ said, after the last of Aeka's wounds disappeared. Continuing to put his energy into Aeka's body, he did not stop until he knew that Aeka would live. Finally discontinuing the beam, he still stood over his forbidden love, his hands still outstretched, has he held his breath and waited.

Sasami, Tenchi, Washu, Ryoko, Kiyone, and Mihoshi all looked at Russ and Aeka, a mix of fear, hope, and disbelief on each of their visages. They each remained silent, hoping against hope that Russ performed yet another miracle.

Lying down on the ground, Aeka remained motionless and lifeless for a few moments, until her mouth opened to take in a huge breath of air. Her eyes fluttered open as she looked into the sky, wondering where she was, as she was unable to figure out why she was back on Earth and not in Heaven.

"Oh my god!" Misaki yelled, onboard the king's ship, now heading toward Earth with an escort fleet of three hundred ships, tears pouring out of her eyes. "She's ALIVE! How the hell did Russ do that?! That's IMPOSSIBLE! Only a god can do that!"

"He is no god," Asuza said, looking at the viewscreen. "But he has performed a miracle. That is nothing short of incredible. He has saved our daughter's life, but he was the one at fault for having it taken away too."

"I don't care!" she yelled. "Our daughter is alive!"

"AEKA!!" Sasami yelled, pulling free of Tenchi and running up to her sister. She dropped to her knees and looked into her sister's eyes with the tears pouring out of her own. "You're alive!" Throwing her arms around Aeka, she buried her face in Aeka's chest, squeezing with all her might. "You're alive!"

Still stunned, unable to come up with an explanation, Aeka looked down at her sister, then back at the family. Slowly reaching up, she touched Sasami, as if she were a ghost, but she then hugged her, pulling her close, letting a smile creep onto her lips and letting the tears flow from her eyes.

Washu stood by, completely awestruck and baffled over what she just witnessed. No modern miracle could've done that and it still seemed almost surreal that it did happen. Tears welling up in her eyes again, she continued to look at Aeka, and then at the hole in her clothes, which was now bare, clean skin. "Unbelievable."

Both Tenchi and Ryoko smiled warmly, holding each other close, very, very happy that Aeka was back with them. "Welcome back," they both said in unison.

Aeka took each of their expressions and set those memories in stone within her mind. She smiled, tears streaming down her cheeks, as she continued to hold her crying sister. Finally looking to her other side, she saw Russ standing there, breathing heavily, and looking like an absolute mess, but he was smiling. Nevertheless, she sensed something was very wrong with him as she watched him. "Are you okay?" she asked, hearing the sound of her voice once again.

"Welcome back, Aeka," he said, quietly, his voice somewhat garbled from the fluid gathering in his throat.

Looking up from her sister, Sasami watched Russ, a mix of worry and concern on her face. "Russ? What's wrong?"

Glancing down at Sasami, Russ smiled, a happy, contented, and fulfilled smile. "I'm sorry, Sasami, but I have to break a promise that I made to you," he said, lowering his arms to his sides.

"What do you mean?" she asked, the tears still streaming from her eyes from being overjoyed. "You brought my sister back to life!"

Shaking his head slowly, Russ continued to smile. "Not that one, Sasami. To bring Aeka back, I had to use up all of my energy, and my life force. I gave her everything I had left to let her live," he said. "I gave up my life to let your sister live."

"What are you saying?" Aeka asked, concerned. "You're here, I'm here. It'll all work out!"

Again shaking his head, Russ still smiled. "I'm sorry, Aeka. I never meant for any of this to happen, especially letting you die. But I feel strangely at peace with myself, and fulfilled. I don't know what it is about you, but there was something in my mind that insisted that you had to live. As I always said, you're far more important than myself, and I guess that is what gives you the right to live."

"Stop talking nonsense," she said, her voice skipping like she was laughing. "You're going to be just fine, aren't you?" she asked, but gasped as she saw a couple of tears at the corners of Russ's eyes. It was the first time she had seen a man like him cry, and it was then that she knew what he had done.

His black pupils slowly began to fade, lightening to a gray, and then nearly disappearing altogether, Russ raised his right hand, giving her a thumb up. "I'm sorry, Aeka. I wish I could've been your lover," he said, his voice shaking, but he still maintained that warm, fulfilled smile. "No need for Dragonballs." Feeling the wind over his battered skin, he felt himself falling onto his side, but he never felt the impact of when he hit the ground. The wind continued to stir his hair, his face still smiling, his thumb still pointed upward, as he let himself go, his entire life playing before his eyes, but the most tender moments of it playing again and again, and that being the final year of his life. Russ, one of the most powerful warriors the family had ever had the pleasure of meeting, knowing, and loving, passed away.

Again, the entire family watched him fall and thud against the ground, their jaws hanging open, completely blown away that one of his caliper was now lying dead in front of them. Their emotions were thrown into absolute turmoil again, as they witnessed the death and rebirth of one of their most loved ones, and now, witnessed the death of another.

"Russ?" Aeka said, still not able to believe that he could be dead. "Russ?! RUSS!? RUUUUUSSSS!!!" she screamed, throwing her sister off of him and crawling over to him, putting her hands on him and shaking him. Screaming to the heavens, she covered his body with hers and wept like she never had before, all of her frustration pouring out of her like an uncontrolled river of rage. The rest of the family all stood by, feeling the lump in their throats, thinking of all the happiness he had give them since coming to live with them. But as he said, "But when the time comes, I may have to leave." They never imagined that he'd be leaving in this way.

Elsewhere, about a quarter mile away from where Russ and the family were, a hand grabbed a fistful of dirt, listening to everything that had happened…

To be continued…


	17. Forbidden Love

Ep 17 – Forbidden Love

Thank you for reading as far as you have, and for becoming loyal fans of No Need for Dragonballs. I'd like to present to you, the final chapter of the story, titled Forbidden Love. This will complete the fanfiction and wrap up most of the loose ends. At the time of me writing this header, I'm still unsure as to how I want to end it, but we'll see what happens when I get to that point. ;) Funimation copyrights Dragonball Z and Pioneer copyrights Tenchi Muyo. Don't sue me, as I didn't make any money off of this (even though I've been encouraged up the yin-yang to get this published). Remember to send me your thoughts on the story to . Thank you to everybody who has supported me through the story and have encouraged me to keep it going, and who have sent me email regarding the fanfic. I appreciate the time everybody has taken to let me know what he or she thought of my creation. Again, a big THANK YOU to my fans! Also, another HUGE thank you to the real Zorpheus for helping me with his dialog once again.

Feel free to come visit my website .net or .net:81. It's a massive Tenchi website consisting of MP3s, video clips, over 19,000 screenshots, character descriptions, and much more, including additional fanfics by other authors.

"I wish you'd wake up, Russ, because you have no idea how much I miss you. You've been the highlight of my life ever since I met you. You're not like anybody else I've ever known. You're kind, gentle, and very forgiving. You're easygoing and almost impossible to make upset. You listen to my problems without complaining and have always been there to comfort me. You've been my friend since I've known you and you've been my protector for that time as well. When we went to the Startica Festival, you stopped Nagi from attacking Tenchi and Ryoko, and I found that very brave. But after you fought against Zorpheus and saved my life, you sealed your fate with me. You revived me without giving a second thought to your own well-being, and you knew what would probably happen to you. But it still didn't matter. You did it anyway, and you were happy about it. You smiled at me, and cried too, because you knew in your heart that you loved me, and I loved you. I know now that you would do anything for me, or for our family that you've become a part of. And you know that we'd do anything for you as well. Since you collapsed on the battlefield, I've never left your side. I never want to leave your side, Russ."

Princess Aeka, sitting by Russ's hospital bed, lay her head down on Russ's chest, hearing his heartbeat. It has been seven days since the climax of the battle, and Russ has been comatose after his collapse. They were both in Washu's laboratory in a special medical wing, where they hoped Russ would make his recovery. He had many instruments connected to him that measured his vital signs, including his heart rate, metabolism, and his brain activity. His arm had an IV in it, which was now his only source of nutrients. Aeka had not left his side since that dreadful day, and she was now becoming worn out and tired, unable to sleep well, hardly eating anything, with her heart filled with worry and concern.

"I wish I knew what to do to make you wake up, Russ. Both Tom and Nagi are here, waiting for you to come around. They're very worried about you, you know. Nagi told me that she was monitoring the battle between you and Zorpheus, and she knew something bad was going to happen, so she came here to see you. She still remembers that day you took her away from the Startica Festival and listened to her, even though she thought you were going to kill her. Even though that was your only meeting, she felt the need to come here to make sure you were okay. My parents and Aunt Funaho are all on their way as well, but they won't arrive for another two or three days. I hope you wake up before they get here, because I know what father is going to do," she said, her voice wavering as she continued to rest on Russ's chest, feeling the slow rise and fall from his rhythmic breathing. "He's going to try to take me back home again, and I don't want to go. I want to stay here, with you and Sasami. I want to be with you more than anything. I will tell father to go home, but he won't listen. I need you by my side to make him see how much we love each other. Seeing it in person is much different than watching it over a communications channel. They saw how you brought me back from death and how you sacrificed yourself to save me. I can't think of anything nobler than what you did, and you're the kind of man that I could've only dreamed about, until now. You're here, with me. And I will do anything to make it stay that way."

Feeling a lump get caught in her throat, Aeka hesitated, until the tears started flowing once again, dripping onto Russ's tattered blue undershirt that he still had on since the battle.

"I've cried myself to sleep every night since you did what you did, Russ. You're very mean to make me worry like this. Just look at me. I'm a total mess. I'm supposed to be the most beautiful princess that ever walked the face of Earth and Jurai, and I look like you," she said, trying to laugh at her own humor. "I've only left your side to take a bath, but I still feel messy. Tenchi and Ryoko both tried to force me out, but I took care of them. They realized that arguing with me was futile, as you well know. I always love it when you play with me, especially when you try to argue with me. Sometimes you're right, sometimes you're wrong. But you're never insulting unless you're making fun of yourself. You're so handsome and loveable, and it's hard to believe that you're as strong as you are. You're so gentle and careful around me, even when we spar. You never seem to want to hit me or hurt me, so you do other things to fight against me. Your favorite thing to do is compare me to Akane from Ranma, and you know how much that drives me crazy. You think I can't cook and you believe that I have an explosive temper like she does, but I don't see how. But ever since you tried to teach me how to cook, I have gotten better. I love how you take the time to explain everything, and the way you do it is so simple and easy. You're not like Washu who goes off on tangents and explains things that only you or her would understand. Even Sasami says so."

Sitting back up in her chair, she looked at the heart monitor and yawned, his pulse remaining at a slow and steady sixty beats a minute.

"Everybody has been trying to get me out of this room, but I don't really want to leave. I want to be the first thing you see when you wake up, and I want to see you smile again. Just watching you here, being so lifeless and still, is making me crazy. I know you're alive, but I wish you'd give me some sort of sign that you're still with us," she said, grasping his hand and holding it to her cheek. "Washu still isn't sure if you're going to recover or not, but I believe that she has done everything humanly possible to make sure you do. The problem is you're different than the rest of us. You're a Saiyan warrior, and aside from Zorpheus, you're the only one we've ever seen. Washu has done her best to deal with the setbacks, bless her soul. I still feel ashamed from hitting her when she was trying to stop me from helping you, but if I had to do it all over again, I would. Being next to you is what makes me happy, and there isn't another person alive who can take that away from me or keep me from it. But still, I am worried about when you do wake up. I know things didn't go as well as you had hoped, but we're both still alive somehow. I guess I owe Zorpheus a little thanks for what he did after the battle. I never expected him to do what he did."

One week earlier…

"AEKA!!" Sasami yelled, pulling free of Tenchi and running up to her sister. She dropped to her knees and looked into her sister's eyes with the tears pouring out of her own. "You're alive!" Throwing her arms around Aeka, she buried her face in Aeka's chest, squeezing with all her might. "You're alive!"

Still stunned, unable to come up with an explanation, Aeka looked down at her sister, then back at the family. Slowly reaching up, she touched Sasami, as if she were a ghost, but she then hugged her, pulling her close, letting a smile creep onto her lips and letting the tears flow from her eyes.

Washu stood by, completely awestruck and baffled over what she just witnessed. No modern miracle could've done that and it still seemed almost surreal that it did happen. Tears welling up in her eyes again, she continued to look at Aeka, and then at the hole in her clothes, which was now bare, clean skin. "Unbelievable."

Both Tenchi and Ryoko smiled warmly, holding each other close, very, very happy that Aeka was back with them. "Welcome back," they both said in unison.

Aeka took each of their expressions and set those memories in stone within her mind. She smiled, tears streaming down her cheeks, as she continued to hold her crying sister. Finally looking to her other side, she saw Russ standing there, breathing heavily, and looking like an absolute mess, but he was smiling. Nevertheless, she sensed something was very wrong with him as she watched him. "Are you okay?" she asked, hearing the sound of her voice once again.

"Welcome back, Aeka," he said, quietly, his voice somewhat garbled from the fluid gathering in his throat.

Looking up from her sister, Sasami watched Russ, a mix of worry and concern on her face. "Russ? What's wrong?"

Glancing down at Sasami, Russ smiled, a happy, contented, and fulfilled smile. "I'm sorry, Sasami, but I have to break a promise that I made to you," he said, lowering his arms to his sides.

"What do you mean?" she asked, the tears still streaming from her eyes from being overjoyed. "You brought my sister back to life!"

Shaking his head slowly, Russ continued to smile. "Not that one, Sasami. To bring Aeka back, I had to use up all of my energy, and my life force. I gave her everything I had left to let her live," he said. "I gave up my life to let your sister live."

"What are you saying?" Aeka asked, concerned. "You're here, I'm here. It'll all work out!"

Again shaking his head, Russ still smiled. "I'm sorry, Aeka. I never meant for any of this to happen, especially letting you die. But I feel strangely at peace with myself, and fulfilled. I don't know what it is about you, but there was something in my mind that insisted that you had to live. As I always said, you're far more important than myself, and I guess that is what gives you the right to live."

"Stop talking nonsense," she said, her voice skipping like she was laughing. "You're going to be just fine, aren't you?" she asked, but gasped as she saw a couple of tears at the corners of Russ's eyes. It was the first time she had seen a man like him cry, and it was then that she knew what he had done.

His black pupils slowly began to fade, lightening to a gray, and then nearly disappearing altogether, Russ raised his right hand, giving her a thumb up. "I'm sorry, Aeka. I wish I could've been your lover," he said, his voice shaking, but he still maintained that warm, fulfilled smile. "No need for Dragonballs." Feeling the wind over his battered skin, he felt himself falling onto his side, but he never felt the impact of when he hit the ground. The wind continued to stir his hair, his face still smiling, his thumb still pointed upward, as he let himself go, his entire life playing before his eyes, but the most tender moments of it playing again and again, and that being the final year of his life. Russ, one of the most powerful warriors the family had ever had the pleasure of meeting, knowing, and loving, passed away.

Again, the entire family watched him fall and thud against the ground, their jaws hanging open, completely blown away that one of his caliper was now lying dead in front of them. Their emotions were thrown into absolute turmoil again, as they witnessed the death and rebirth of one of their most loved ones, and now, witnessed the death of another.

"Russ?" Aeka said, still not able to believe that he could be dead. "Russ?! RUSS!? RUUUUUSSSS!!!" she screamed, throwing her sister off of her and crawling over to him, putting her hands on him and shaking him. Screaming to the heavens, she covered his body with hers and wept like she never had before, all of her frustration pouring out of her like an uncontrolled river of rage. The rest of the family all stood by, feeling the lump in their throats, thinking of all the happiness he had give them since coming to live with them. But as he said, "But when the time comes, I may have to leave." They never imagined that he'd be leaving in this way.

"You can't be dead! You JUST CAN'T BE!" Aeka screamed, holding him tightly, looking into his battered face, which was still filled with contentedness. "Wake up! PLEASE WAKE UP!"

"Aeka," Tenchi said, choking back his tears. "Please stop. There's nothing we can do. He sacrificed himself to let you live."

"IT'S NOT FAIR!" she screamed, crying hysterically. "I'm supposed to be dead, not him! If he didn't bring me back, he'd still be alive!"

"But then you'd be dead, Aeka. He knows how important you are to us, and he felt that you were more important than he was. He was happy to give you his life, Aeka," Tenchi said, resting his hand on her shoulder, squeezing it gently. Aeka had Russ's head in her lap, stroking it, letting her tears splash onto his face. "I believe he loved you more than anybody, and he proved it through his actions. The pain he felt when he saw you collapse was enough to give him the strength to defeat Zorpheus. He wants you to live, Aeka. He made sure you would live."

"Washu? Can't you do anything?" Aeka asked, looking at the scientist.

Washu looked back at Aeka, her eyes filled with tears as she looked away, letting the water fall to the ground.

Again, feeling an unparalleled sadness, Aeka began to cry once again, murmuring Russ's name over and over.

"We should get out of here," Ryoko said, looking at the darkening sky. "I don't think this planet will exist much longer. It feels like it's about to fall apart and explode."

Kiyone and Mihoshi both approached Aeka, gently taking her in their arms, pulling her away from Russ.

"Come on, Aeka," Kiyone said, gently. "We should go."

Mihoshi didn't say anything, but tears were streaming down her face as well, as Russ had touched the lives of the entire family.

Pulling away from Kiyone, Aeka collapsed back to her knees, her face blank and devoid of life. "I can't believe he's gone," she whispered, the tears no longer flowing. "He can't be gone."

Sasami was holding onto Washu, keeping her face buried in her clothes, but something made her pull away and look toward the battlefield, where the dust was finally settling. "What's that?"

"What's what, Sasami?" Washu asked, looking off into the direction Sasami was.

"There's something there," she said, growing scared.

Straining her eyes, Washu tried to see through the dust cloud, but couldn't see inside it. "I don't see anything, Sasami."

"Wait. Something is there. I can feel it," she said, her gaze not faltering.

Tenchi, Ryoko, Sasami, Washu, Kiyone, and Mihoshi all looked at the battleground, watching, and waiting. Aeka sat on the dirt in shock, unable to feel or do anything. It was just too unbelievable that Russ was lying dead in front of her.

"LOOK!" Sasami yelled, pointing a finger at a silhouette that seemed to form in the dust. "Look there!"

"No… it can't be. He's dead. He has to be," Tenchi said, his eyes widening.

Very slowly, the shadow took a more human form, as someone came out of the dust cloud. He was clutching his shoulder, which was now missing an arm. Slowly making his way over to the group, he stopped about a dozen feet away from them, his artificial eye swollen shut, sparks arcing from his missing arm, and his skin badly burned from almost top to bottom. He was still smoking, but somehow, he was still standing and was still conscious. The only bit of clothing that remained on him was around his crotch, and it looked like a set of Speedos. His hair was already turned back to black, and his eye had become red once again. He could've passed for hamburger.

"I came, I saw, I got blown up," Zorpheus coughed, spitting up a mouthful of blood.

Tenchi and Ryoko both immediately jumped in between Aeka and Russ, their eyes consumed in fear, but they were ready to fight. Ryoko's sword glowed orange, and Tenchi's sword was a brilliant shade of blue, both of them humming quietly.

Shaking his head, Zorpheus put up a hand. "I'm not here for that. Not anymore."

"Like Hell you are!" Ryoko snarled, ready to lunge at him. "I don't know how you survived, but you're not going to be alive much longer!"

"Wait!" Sasami said, running up to Ryoko and Tenchi. "He's different somehow."

"Get back!" Tenchi said, putting his arm out to stop the little princess from getting in front of him. "Stay away from him!"

Sasami slowly walked around Tenchi, looking at the horror on his face. "Please, wait," she asked again, turning away from them and toward Zorpheus. Slowly walking over to him, she stopped a few feet in front of him and looked into his red eye.

Several moments passed as both Sasami and Zorpheus gazed into each other's faces, both of them judging the other. Zorpheus continued to breathe heavily, blood dripping from several parts of his body, staining the dirt red. Sasami watched him, sensing a difference in his mind.

"Are you okay?" Sasami asked.

Shaking his head, Zorpheus almost collapsed to the ground. "No. But Russ is in worse shape than I am. But we can still save him."

"I don't believe you!" Ryoko shouted, her hands shaking with anticipation. "You killed Aeka and made Russ destroy himself! How can I believe you!?"

Looking up from Russ's corpse, Aeka's gaze locked on Zorpheus, the hurt and pain written all over her visage.

Again, several more moments of silence passed between the group, but it was Sasami who smiled and nodded her head. "I believe you," she finally said. "What do we need to do?"

"Sasami!" Washu shouted, not really sure why.

Zorpheus visibly relaxed, letting out a sigh. "I know Russ always has a backup plan. Do you guys have a regeneration tank somewhere? I think I remember seeing one when we went through the lab."

"Yes we do," Sasami answered, taking Zorpheus by the hand. "It's okay, everybody. Zorpheus is back to normal, and he's going to help Russ."

"What are you talking about, Sasami?! How is he normal?" Ryoko yelled, her face full of shock and surprise. "What he did to Russ and Aeka wasn't normal?"

Sasami shook her head. "No. I sensed a change in him just before Russ blasted him. It was like someone was controlling him, like how a puppet master controls his puppet by pulling strings. I don't know how to explain it, but Zorpheus is completely calm and at peace right now, where he wasn't when he first arrived."

"I don't understand this anymore," Tenchi murmured, letting his sword disappear. "Lets just do what he says."

"Are you out of your mind?!" Washu yelled, clearly flustered. "Russ is dead! How the hell will letting his body heal bring him back?!"

"Yes, he's dead, but if we get him into the regeneration tank immediately, we can save him," Zorpheus said, drawing a hopeful look from Aeka. "He's capable of being revived, but barely. If we do not get his body healed soon, he will definitely stay dead."

"Idiot! He isn't breathing, he has no pulse, and his energy level is zero! Are you telling me that you can bring back the dead too?!" Washu argued.

Aeka stood up and moved over to Zorpheus, looking him directly into his eye. "Save him," she said, her face serious. "If you can do it, save him."

"Aeka!?" Washu shouted, her mind succumbing to the enormous amount of mental trauma she has endured through the battle.

Slowly making his way over to Russ, Zorpheus knelt down, getting his arm around Russ's waist and lifting him like a piece of baggage off of the ground. "Where is the regeneration tank? We don't have much time."

"This way," Aeka said, reaching out into the air, causing the hidden door to appear, opening it and standing aside.

"Let's go," Zorpheus said, walking through it, followed by Aeka and the rest of the family.

Everybody kept his or her distance from the saiyan, still very concerned that he was going to do something drastic or crazy. Even though he was severely weakened, they still didn't want to tangle with him. But if he could save Russ and if he was being serious, then the risk was worth the reward.

Slowly making their way to the regeneration tank, Zorpheus stumbled several times, barely able to support Russ and himself. He felt weak and he could feel faint, but he kept moving, until they reached the huge dome. Setting Russ's body down on the floor, he moved over to the control panel and keyed several commands, hearing the door hiss open.

He looked back toward the group, giving them his best pitiful look. "Could someone give me a hand getting him into the chamber? Seems I'm short one at the moment."

Without question, Aeka leaned down and lifted Russ by herself, and very gently set him in the chamber. Reaching over to the air mask, she secured it to Russ's face. Backing out of the chamber slowly, leaving Russ slumped over, she felt hope again.

"Sealing the chamber and filling it with synthetic Saiyan DNA," Zorpheus said, keying the necessary commands on the console to let the light blue liquid fill the tank, and then he turned toward the group. "These machines are miracle workers. They can revive a person like him and bring him back to like-new condition in only a half-hour, and they can revive people who have been dead for as long as twenty minutes," he explained, feeling his body become sick. "Thank you for believing me. Now, if you'll excuse me, passing out sounds really good at the moment. I'd like to be set somewhere nice, but if you just leave me bleedin' on the floor, I can't blame ya. Thank you, and goodnight," he said, letting a small grin creep onto his lips, as his eyes became a steel gray, and he fell over, in almost the same condition Russ was in moments ago.

Aeka watched him fall, feeling a mix of rage, fear, hope, and sympathy. For a few moments, she debated with herself on what she should do with him. Should she kill him so he couldn't do anything like he did ever again? Or should she let him live? Thinking back to how Russ felt about him, it wasn't a tough decision.

"Tenchi? Will you help me put Zorpheus on a hospital bed?" she asked, still looking at Zorpheus's fallen form. "Russ will be upset if he dies."

"He should die," Ryoko snapped, her eyes burning. "After what he did to both you and Russ, that bastard deserves nothing less. And even that would be too good for him."

"Shut up, Ryoko," Aeka growled, glaring at her. "I will do anything to make Russ happy, and I know he'd be upset of we let Zorpheus die."

"And it wasn't his fault that he was doing what he was doing," Sasami said, stepping over to her sister, taking Aeka's arm in her hands, resting her cheek against it. "Zorpheus was being manipulated, so it wasn't the real him that Russ was fighting against."

"He deserves to die! He killed Aeka and he made Russ die because of what he did!" Ryoko argued, still infuriated at what had transpired.

"Should you die for the sins you committed while Kagato was controlling you?" Aeka returned, her expression as cold as steel. "I don't believe you should, because that wasn't the real you, and it isn't fair that we do that to Zorpheus."

Ryoko looked taken aback and she looked away, ashamed at what she proposed. Tenchi wrapped his arm around her, shooting a glare into Aeka's direction, still holding her gently.

"It's okay, Ryoko. We forgive you for what you've done, and you should find it in your heart to forgive Zorpheus as well."

"I'm… sorry, Aeka." Ryoko hung her head, her expression unhappy and defeated.

Tenchi released his fiancée and moved over to Zorpheus, lifting his heavy body and wrapping Zorpheus's arm over his shoulders, grunting and straining under the tremendous weight. "Damn, I wonder if he weighs as much as Russ," he grunted. "Washu, where is the nearest hospital bed? We will let him rest there, and then we'll let him into the regeneration tank."

"We can put him into a chair for now if we're going to put him into the tank later," Washu said, keying a few commands on her suddenly-present laptop. A chair popped out of the floor and scooped up Zorpheus, letting him lay back in the soft velvet. His blood began to stain the red fabric, making it darker in some spots. "If you'll excuse me, I'll stop his bleeding, and when Russ is finished in the regeneration tank, I'll put Zorpheus in it."

"Thank you, Washu," Aeka said, bowing respectfully. "But I want to stay here. I want to see Russ the moment he gets out of the tank."

The tank beeped several times, showing that Russ was now bearing life signs. His body went through several spasms and he threw up a mouthful of fluid into the air mask, but it quickly sucked it away, continuing to supply him with enriched oxygen. Aeka watched him, breathing a sigh of relief.

"I'll be perfectly honest with you, Aeka," Washu began. "I'm not sure what state of mind he will be in when he gets out of the tank. He just went through one of the most traumatic things he could've ever bared witness to, and on top of that, he's more or less been dead for the last ten minutes. That is quite a while for the brain to be without oxygen. He may never wake up, Aeka," she said, switching her gaze to the capsule, seeing Russ's visage through the fluid. He looked so helpless, like an unborn baby still in the womb.

Several moments of silence passed by, as Aeka didn't seem to hear what Washu had to say, or decided to ignore it. Gazing into the tank, she hung her head and let out a soft sigh. Stepping over to the tank and placing the palm of her hand against the glass door, she closed her eyes and said a silent prayer to herself, and then she sat down in front of it, leaning against the door, looking up at the rest of the family.

"What are you doing, Aeka?" Sasami asked, watching her sister.

"I'm staying here," she answered, simply.

Sasami watched her for a moment, stunned at how her sister was behaving, but she smiled a moment later. Moving over to her sister and sitting down next to her, she took her sisters hand in her own and relaxed. "I'll stay here too."

Looking over to the little princess, Aeka smiled contentedly and nodded her head. "Okay."

Tenchi, Ryoko, Mihoshi, and Kiyone looked at each other, and then smiled. Turning away from her, all four of them made their way out of the lab, heading back to the house and the bright sunlight, leaving Aeka, Sasami, Washu, Zorpheus, and Russ to their own devices. Ryo-Ohki bounded in when Tenchi opened the door and ran up to Sasami, meowing up a storm, wondering what had happened.

"It's okay, Ryo-Ohki. Russ is being healed and Zorpheus will be too. I'll tell you all about it a little later. But right now, I just feel very sleepy."

Both sisters leaned against each other, patiently waiting for the tank to finish with Russ. Washu stood nearby, watching the two sisters hold each other close, and she could see the devotion both of them had toward Russ. There was no sense in trying to make her go back to the house. She knew what the end result of an argument would be.

However, Washu had her own demons to chase away. It was one of the few times that she could remember becoming upset over the death of someone close to her. Being alive for over twenty thousand years and living far longer than most of her friends and colleagues had hardened her, and almost made her used to death and loneliness. When she saw Aeka fall to the ground, it set something off within her… a feeling that she hadn't felt in thousands of years. Despair had set into her heart, as she had become attached to Aeka and Sasami like they were her own children. Even though they really didn't know about it, she had kept an eye on the entire family, watching over them like a guardian angel. Not only was it a good learning experience for her to record the behaviors of the family, it was also wonderful to be able to interact with them and see how her knowledge would change the outcome of one thing to another. Being alive for so long had told her not to become attached to anything because she already knew she was probably going to outlive them, but still, this group of people, who she had moved in with after being rescued from Kagato, had captured her heart like no other. Perhaps it was when Tenchi had told her that she was a part of the family. That was something she didn't have for a very long time, and had a longing for. However, she didn't realize she had that feeling until it was presented to her.

Looking back at Russ in the regeneration tank, her mind wandered further. Even though she only lived with him for one year, that single year was unforgettable. He was radically different than anybody she had ever met in her entire life. He had strength, power, and a wonderful personality, and those were traits that never seemed to fall in with a person who was built like he was. From the stories that he had told her of his conflicts while she examined him, he described what she had expected: arrogant, pompous asses who only got pleasure out of belittling others or causing others pain and suffering. She admired him for his morals and ethics, as they were set much higher than her own. After a short while, she knew that she began to idolize him, as he was the embodiment of an almost perfect person. Kind, compassionate, caring, and very noble, he was everything that she was looking for in a man. Of course, his dashing good looks didn't hurt either. For some reason, she felt very comfortable talking to him, as he seemed similar to her late husband. Even though he wasn't built anything like Russ, her husband was kind, caring, compassionate, and could hold his own in a discussion with her. She had fallen in love with him, married him, and then had a child with him. But all that was taken away when the men came and said that he could no longer stay with her, and that the child would go with them. They told her that she was to have no contact with them. However, she could see her husband in Russ, and it made her feel lonely and depressed, as she thought about her lost love. Nevertheless, Russ did the impossible and reunited her son with herself, and that was something that she had deemed impossible. Even though she knew she treated him harshly at times, even though she didn't speak to him that much before Christmas, and even though she knew how to push all the right buttons with him, he still came through for her and had performed a miracle. Like she had said, if Aeka wasn't chasing Russ, she would've been.

Stepping over to Zorpheus, she looked at his broken form. She couldn't feel any sympathy toward him, or anger for that matter. He was just another man who needed help. Setting to work to stop his bleeding, she sighed to herself, contenting her mind to the task at hand.

Present Day…

"Hey Tenchi?"

"What is it, Ryoko?"

"I'm worried about Aeka."

"I know. Same here. I'm worried about both Russ and Aeka, actually," Tenchi responded, rubbing his temples with his hand, sitting on the couch, trying to take his mind off the mental pressure by watching a little television. Martian Successor Nadesico was currently playing, and they were watching Akito take a drink of a special stamina beverage that Megumi had prepared. He wound up screaming so loudly from the bad taste that the Nadesico started rocking and rolling, being followed up by bickering from Yurika.

Ryoko was sitting next to him, one of her hands clasped by Tenchi. "Aeka has been in that lab for nearly a week now. She hardly eats and she's becoming a mess. I've never seen her like this before, Tenchi, and it's really worrying me."

"Oh man," he sighed, looking at the ceiling and letting his hand flop back to his side, ignoring Akito's outburst from the TV. "I don't know what to do."

"Me neither. But I think we should get her out of the house for a while. She really needs to take her mind off of Russ for a little while and get some fresh air. I've gone down there every day to check up on her and she just seems to be wasting away, waiting for Russ to re-awaken."

Tenchi looked at her, seeing the concern and worry in her face. "How are we going to get her out of there? Every time we've even suggested it, she's bit our heads off. I know she doesn't mean it, but I've never seen someone as devoted as she is."

Snuggling a little closer to her lover, she laid her head on his shoulder. "If it were you in that hospital bed, I'd be there by your side as well."

Releasing her hand and wrapping his arm around Ryoko, he gave her a tender squeeze. "Yeah. I know you would. Both you and Aeka are the two most devoted people I've ever known."

"Does that bother you?"

"No, not at all. Actually, I admire it. It makes me feel very good to know that you'll be by my side no matter what," Tenchi said, gently rubbing her arm.

"I love you, Tenchi. You're the only one I love and you're the only one I will stick by no matter what," she said, gazing into his eyes.

Smiling, Tenchi bent over and kissed her gently, letting it linger for a few moments. "I love you too, Ryoko."

"Oops, bad timing."

Glancing over his shoulder, Tenchi looked at Zorpheus, who had just come out of the kitchen. Feeling a bit of anxiety, he forced a smile onto his face.

"It's okay. How's it going?" he asked.

"I ate everything in the refrigerator," Zorpheus said, picking his teeth with his fingernail, making his way over to the couch and drawing a look of shock from Ryoko and Tenchi. "Mind if I join you?"

"You ate everything?" Ryoko asked, stunned.

"Including the fridge. You might want to consider replacing it." Zorpheus snickered quietly and shook his head, taking a seat on the sofa. "I'm just messin with ya. I just had myself a couple sandwiches to tide me over for now. I heard you two talking about Aeka and I started eavesdropping. Sorry about that," he said, looking at the TV. For the third time, Akito screamed so loudly because of both girls dumping hot soup on him, that the ship almost fell into the ocean. "I love this episode," Zorpheus said, laughing.

Ryoko and Tenchi glanced at each other, silencing themselves to watch the rest of the show.

"Listen," Zorpheus began, turning away from the TV. "I know I've said it before, and I'll keep saying it until I'm sure I've earned your trust. I'm very sorry for everything that has happened. I'm sorry I did what I did to Aeka. I'm sorry that I fought against Russ and caused him to go into a coma. I'm sorry that I basically ruined your lives in a little more than an hour. It seems almost surreal to me, because I remember doing everything, but I don't know why. I could feel the anger, hate, and rage within my mind, but it just seemed to be…" he said, trailing off. "It was almost like it was amplified in a way. I would've never gotten mad enough to kill someone over something like that. True, I probably would've taken some frustration out on Russ, but I never would've gone as far as I did. And when I shot Aeka, something inside of me, kinda, turned off, and it was at that moment that I was able to take a good look at what I did and ask myself, 'What the hell is wrong with me?' The instant that happened, I got a massive headache, like my head was being crushed in a vice. It was one of the weirdest things that have ever happened to me, and I don't have an explanation for it. But I must apologize for everything that has happened, because it was me. Chasing after immortality was my own stupid idea, and I should've listened to Russ and given up on it, but nooooo, I was in my own little dream world about being the only invincible warrior in the universe. A man named Jordan on planet Xnafu had described the thrill of battle and how unattractive it would become if death weren't a factor in it. It would be similar to playing a videogame with the cheat codes. Sure, it may be fun for a little while, but it usually doesn't last long before it just turns stupid. He almost changed my mind, but I still felt inclined to give immortality a test drive. Not the smartest line of thinking I've had, I admit," Zorpheus said, looking straight at Tenchi and Ryoko, both of his red eyes flashing between the two. "I don't know if I could ever apologize enough, but I'm sorry."

Tenchi and Ryoko listened to him, holding each other close and listening carefully to everything that Zorpheus had to say.

"I am worried about Aeka as well," Zorpheus continued. "I have kept my distance from her as I'm certain she would not welcome my company, especially after what had happened. I could tell what she felt just by looking into her eyes," he said, shaking his head, letting out a deep sigh. "I think she'll forgive me in the time it takes for Hell to freeze solid. Her sister is being really sweet to me, but it hasn't been long enough to figure out if it's for real. I don't believe anybody trusts me yet, and it doesn't take a genius to figure out why. Needless to say, I'd really like to know what made me flip out. It just didn't feel right. It was like someone else was messing with my head. I'd tear them apart if I knew who or what it was."

"Give Aeka a little time, but I'm sure she'll forgive you," Tenchi said, causing Zorpheus to glance up at him. "Have you apologized to her yet?"

Zorpheus shook his head. "Are you insane? She'd probably try to kill me or something. Granted, it probably wouldn't work, but I think it would be better if I just steer clear of her for a while longer."

Ryoko shifted positions, scooting slightly closer to Tenchi. "You should give her a chance, Zorph. She is really a kindhearted person, and I'm certain that she'd find it in her heart to forgive you. I know she would, because she has forgiven me for some of the bad things that I've done in the past."

After looking at her curiously, he shifted his gaze to the floor. "I won't pry, but do you really think she'll forgive me? What I mean is, have you done anything that even remotely comes close to what I've done? I highly doubt you've killed her and made her lover bring her back to life, costing him his own."

Ryoko shook her head. "No, but I had taken her brother from her, and she searched for him for a very long time. I nearly destroyed her home, among other bad things. I think it's pretty close to what you've done, but it had taken her a long time to get over it all, and to find it in her heart to forgive me."

Zorpheus didn't lift his gaze from the floor. "How much do you want to bet that she'll never forgive me, especially if Russ never snaps out of this? Man, I never saw him explode like that in my life. It was like looking at an entirely different person. His energy, strength, and the fire in his heart was nothing like I've ever seen, and it scared the hell out of me. During the fight, I did sense something different about Russ. I know he swore up and down that he'd never become involved with another woman, but I think that, just maybe, he was about to give it another chance. When Aeka came into the separate dimension, it blew away almost all of my doubts. She was so much in love with him that she attacked someone that she knew she couldn't defeat, and I had to admire that. I've heard stories about how a man and woman would fight side by side against impossible odds, but they were only stories you'd expect to read in some sappy teenage romance novel. I never thought that I'd actually SEE something like that, let alone cause it myself. Once Aeka was down, I could feel Russ's anger boil over and reach a breaking point, making him become more powerful than the highest level I could even begin to guess he would have. Truth to be told, I was much stronger than him when we last parted ways, and I always had a definite edge on Russ when it came to fighting technique. But when I took out Aeka, he just flat out blew his top and tapped into the sheer power of vengeance. I half expected him to explode into a level two super saiyan. Also, he used that new attack… Violent Heart, if my memory serves me right, and I NEVER thought he had the strength to pull that one off. It was a sheer miracle he held himself together while summoning all that energy. That single, solitary blast had enough power to even blow away someone twice my power, no sweat… even if the guy was using something like a Kamehameha wave. Not even a super Kaioken power boost wasn't enough to overtake that monster of a blast," Zorpheus said, his hands trembling as he remembered the beam racing at him like his own beam wasn't even there. "Afterward, he did something I never thought he had the guts or the know-how to do. Once he was sure I was gone, he went and gave every last bit of juice he had left to Aeka. I guess since his sweetheart, Laurie, was brutally snatched away from life, he decided to make one final use for his energy to bring one person back from death. Even someone of my own fighting genius can't figure out how that's done, so he must've figured that something like that would happen again, and he prepared for the worst. I don't know how long he has known about that use for ki, but it must've been after Laurie perished. We did have some battles afterward, but Russ didn't show much emotion to the people who were victimized. He'd just close his eyes, say a silent prayer to those who had fallen, and we'd leave. I do remember him saying after Laurie had passed away, 'I'll never let something like that happen again.' I kind of figured that he might find a way, but I never thought he'd actually succeed, let alone find another instance like Laurie's in which to use the thing. I never thought he'd fall in love again, and I nearly took that away from him. I deserved the smacking around I received from him, and when he wakes up, I'll apologize, then take my leave."

"It's okay," Tenchi said, listening to his story. "You're welcome to stay here for a while so you can decide what you'd like to do."

"Thanks a lot, Tenchi. I very much appreciate the offer, but there's too much bad blood floating around here to make me feel welcome or comfortable. You all didn't deserve the trial-by-fire that I put you through, and I'm sorry for it. Once Russ comes out of his coma, I'll be out of here," Zorpheus said, looking out the window at the rain that fell outside. "I feel so bad for Aeka, as I've never seen someone as devoted to another as she is to him. I've seen women pursue Russ before, okay, but they'd give up after they realized that the man just wasn't looking. However, because Russ had spent so much time here and had gotten involved in activities with her, I think she developed the hots for him quite a while ago. Even though Russ probably never returned feelings of love, she still held on, waiting for him. She's very devoted to him. Hell, she's been in that lab watching over him ever since he came out of the regeneration tank. I wish I could find a girl like that for myself," he said, sitting back in the couch, folding his hands together, his new bionic arm complete. "Actually, I'm just a tad jealous because I never had a love-love relationship. Being such a ladies man that I am, it often means you see a lot of beautiful women, but not for very long, you know? In the end it's always, 'You go that way and I'll go this way. Thank you for a good time. Buh-bye.' Sure, it's a hell of a lot of fun at times, but I miss out on any real relationships. Even as I sit here looking at you two, I can't help feeling a little envious. But anyway, I wonder if Russ really will return her feelings. How long has he been here anyway?"

"About a year, actually," Ryoko responded.

Zorpheus widened his eyes slightly, and then looked out the window again. "An entire year to live with you guys. Wow. I wouldn't want to get stuck with YOUR food bill," he snickered. "I'm joking. Has she been after him since day one?"

Both Tenchi and Ryoko nodded.

"I see. So it took an entire year from the same girl to open him back up again. It's nice to see him back with it, but actually, but I'm worried at the same time. I really don't know how he will take having been that close to losing it all again. He's extremely sensitive about that kind of thing and is very hard on himself over things that don't go well," Zorpheus said, letting out a sigh. "He kicks himself in the butt for anything that goes wrong, and it really grinds at him."

"I sensed that about him as well," Ryoko said, quietly. "He hates making mistakes that hurt other people. I could see that when he brought Aeka back and before you two fought."

Running his fingers through his hair, he brought his hands to rest on the back of his neck, resting his elbows on his legs as he hunched over, worried. "Her sister seems to have forgiven me easily enough. I wonder what made her trust me when I walked up to you guys after the battle. You two were ready to slaughter me, but for some reason, she could see the real me."

"Sasami has always been a very trusting and forgiving person," Tenchi said, squeezing Ryoko's hand tenderly. "She can judge a person far better than anyone I've ever seen. I believe it's her innocence that drives her and lets her see things that we cannot."

Glancing over at the organ, Zorpheus smiled, sitting back into the couch again. "Who plays the organ here?" he asked, changing the subject.

"Russ does," Tenchi answered, also looking at the organ. "Dad originally bought it to learn how to play. But when Russ went crazy on it, it just blew us all away with how well he could make that thing sound. I'd like to learn how to play, but I don't have the patience for it and I'm just too busy."

"He knows a lot of music too," Ryoko added. "Nearly everything that he has played, I have enjoyed. He loves to have fun and loves to entertain us."

Zorpheus grinned. "Yeah, he's a master at the organ and making music. Most of the time he's pretty shy about that ability. It's funny, because he's a pureblooded Saiyan warrior, yet, still behaves more human than saiyan. Me, on the other hand, have a greater lust for battle than he does, and I'm a saiyan-human hybrid. It's strange, but it has always been that way. He'd rather spend time on trying to resolve something peacefully rather than just using his insane strength to beat it into the guy."

"Russ is a lot of fun to be around," Ryoko said, looking at the rain that fell, instilling a sense of peace. "He's not like most other people I've known."

Tenchi nodded. "Yeah, Russ is fun. He's usually very happy and loves to do things with us, aside from shopping," he said, laughing. "He dreads going to the mall."

Grinning, Zorpheus tried to keep himself from laughing. "He loves to have a good time, that's for sure."

"Yeah," Tenchi sighed, still clasping Ryoko's hand. "It's been too quiet around here without him."

Grunting quietly, Zorpheus got up from the couch. "If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go apologize to Aeka now," he said, looking nervous.

Ryoko and Tenchi both looked at him, smiling. "Invite her to go to the mall or something. She won't do it for us, but maybe if it comes from you, it would work. We have to get her out of that lab before she wastes away completely," Tenchi said, watching Zorpheus slowly move around the couch, making his way to the lab door.

"Okay. All of us can go if she's willing."

Tenchi nodded. "Dad will probably go with us as well. So there will be you, Ryoko, Aeka, Sasami, Ryo-Ohki, Washu, and me. Kiyone and Mihoshi have just started their patrol mission, so they'll be doing that for a while still."

"Good luck with Aeka, Zorph. Just give a little time and be patient with her, and I'm sure everything will work out okay," Ryoko added, smiling in his direction.

"Thanks guys. I hope Sasami is down there too, to maybe take some of the heat off of me," he said, disappearing behind the portal door.

Seeing him enter the lab, both Ryoko and Tenchi looked at each other and shook their heads. "Russ was right about one thing. He is a nice guy. It's going to be very hard for Aeka to accept the real him over what we saw on the first day," Tenchi said, looking at the TV.

"I know. I really hope Aeka finds it in her heart to forgive him."

Suddenly, the lab door reopened and Zorpheus stepped out, glancing at Ryoko and Tenchi. "Err… I should bring her something to eat and drink. Hopefully that will soften her up a little," he said, heading to the kitchen.

"And I'll give him credit for one other thing too. He's quite smart when it comes to people's feelings," Tenchi whispered. "I wouldn't have thought of that."

Ryoko nodded, hearing a plate and a glass being set down on the counter in the kitchen, and a moment later, hearing the sound of cracking ice. "She must be starving."

"Well, keep your fingers crossed and hope for the best," Tenchi said, looking at Ryoko. "I wonder what Tom and Nagi are up to," he said, changing the subject.

"Well, Tom is probably checking over his ship again, making sure that the parts that went bad won't do it again. He said he made it from his planet to her in a little over an hour. He told me that he pushed his ship to near maximum speed, and that it was the first time he has done that, so understandably, some parts were unable to withstand the stress. I think he's got it all sorted out now."

Standing up, Tenchi walked over to the door, seeing that the rain was finally stopping. "Even though he's right above us, nobody would ever know it. That cloaking device is a really neat piece of work. Nagi is onboard up there, isn't she?"

Ryoko nodded. "Yes. She wanted to tour the ship we all rode on when we went to the Startica Festival. She told me that she was very surprised when she saw all of us get onboard that thing and leave the system. What surprised her more is that the ship was so fast that she couldn't detect it after we entered hyperspace," Ryoko explained. "It intrigued her."

"Well, at least it looks like it's clearing up a bit. What time is it?" Tenchi muttered, looking over at the VCR, which read two thirty in the afternoon. "If Zorpheus does manage to get Aeka out of there, we should make an entire day out of it. Maybe go to the park, go to the mall, head on over to get ice cream and other nice little things. I know she probably will be very distracted, but at least she'll be out of there."

"I agree. Your dad won't have a problem spending the day with us, will he?"

Tenchi shook his head. "He likes to get out every once in a while too. The thing is that he's usually so darn busy at work that he's completely worn out when he comes home. He would love to do a lot of things, but he's usually too tired. He was actually asleep last week when I bugged him to borrow the van. I feel sorry for him sometimes."

"Yeah. He works so hard to provide for all of us and doesn't ask for anything in return. It's too bad he's still such a lecher," she said, smiling.

The kitchen door reopened, letting Zorpheus through. He had a glass of lemonade in one hand, and a plate with two ham sandwiches in the other. His new bionic arm looked almost real, unlike his older one that had several cables running alongside the frame.

Smiling and nodding his head, he carefully set the glass of lemonade in between his forearm and his chest, and he opened the door with his free hand, stepping through it and letting it close behind him. The door clicked shut a moment later.

"I hope it all goes well," Tenchi said, looking worried.

"I believe Aeka will forgive him," Ryoko said. "I believe she is the kind of person who can forgive anybody for almost anything, and that is why she is the princess of Jurai."

Sighing quietly, Tenchi nodded his head. "Yeah, you're right."

Cruising slowly past Jupiter, the galaxy police patrol ship, Yagami, continued on its seemingly never-ending mission of patrolling the solar system. Traffic through this area was at a standstill, as the Yagami was waiting for an asteroid to move out of its flight path. The problem was, the asteroid was moving at about the same speed as a wet snail. The other problem was that the Yagami was the only traffic in the entire system.

"I've said it before, and I'll say it again. Patrolling this system SUCKS!" Kiyone yelled, backhanding all the litter that was on top of the computer consoles, scattering it onto the already messy floor. "I can't believe it's this dead around here!"

"Well, you know that most traffic is now routed around this area because the people of Earth haven't developed an interplanetary ship yet," Mihoshi said, stuffing her face with cookies. Crumbs started flying out of her mouth as she spoke. "Ifff it weren't ffffo Tom an hifff croo," she mumbled, swallowing, "We'd have even less to do."

Glaring at her partner, she reached over and grabbed her partner's clothes, hauling her to her feet, and got in Mihoshi's face. "Stop talking with your mouth full! How can you entertain yourself like this day after day?! I'm going stir crazy here!" Kiyone shouted. "There hasn't been a major incident in or around this system for weeks!"

"Well, that's good, isn't it?" Mihoshi said, innocently.

Her anger melting away, she released her partner and sunk into her chair, holding her head with her right hand. "Yeah, that's true," she muttered, not enthused. "But still, we haven't been called for duty for the galaxy police or anything. I'm sure there are SOME crimes around here that might deserve our attention. What I mean is this system really doesn't even need to have officers here anymore. We've basically just become guards for Princess Aeka and the space pirate, Ryoko. But Ryoko has since been reformed and there has been no word that Aeka was in any danger, so what are we doing here?"

"We are patrolling the solar system! Bad guys stay away from us because we're so awesome!" Mihoshi said, smiling widely, then giggling. "We're the best this system has ever had!"

Kiyone ground her teeth. "We're the ONLY patrol officers this system has ever had, and they won't assign it to anybody else either. How did we get caught up in this mess?"

"You worry too much, Kiyone," Mihoshi said, eating another cookie and washing it down with a glass of milk. "I like having time to watch my TV program, Space Police Policeman!"

"That show is so stupid! You ARE the police! Would you please act like it?!" Kiyone shouted, flustered more than usual.

"Are you okay, Kiyone? You seem stressed out," she said, looking concerned.

Her face going to surprise, her anger and frustration seemed to melt away again. "Maybe that's it. Ever since Zorpheus arrived, I've been far more worried than usual. I can't believe he's staying in the same house as everybody else! And what makes it worse is if he snaps again, there's nobody to stop him! Russ is still in a coma so he's out of commission, and I don't believe Tenchi or even Yosho could handle Zorpheus. They'll be in a lot of trouble if he decides to take advantage of them or something," she said, looking at the console. The radar screen showed no ships or fighters, even though she knew Tom was in orbit around Earth.

"Kiyone, Zorpheus isn't going to do anything. Ever since Russ blasted him, he changed. He's a lot nicer and more like what Russ described to us than when he first arrived," Mihoshi said, thinking back to before and after the fight. "He won't do anything."

"How can you be so sure?! It's not like you can trust the guy or anything!" Kiyone shot back.

"Well, no, but it doesn't do us any good to worry about it constantly," Mihoshi said, eating the last cookie out of the package and throwing it onto the floor, adding to the mess. "Honestly, I like Zorpheus. He's funny, charming, and very nice, not to mention handsome like Russ."

Kiyone slowly turned her head toward her partner, her face locked into a look of shock and surprise. "What. Did. You. Say?"

Now blushing, Mihoshi put her hands on her cheeks and giggled.

"You CAN'T be serious," Kiyone said, almost in shock. "Do you remember what he DID?"

"Of course, but like I said, he's changed now. He's so nice to everybody and he's very worried about Russ. We're seeing the real him now. It's just like Sasami said," Mihoshi explained, looking out the window at the huge red spot on the surface of Jupiter.

"I don't believe this," Kiyone said, still staring at her partner. "Don't tell me you're thinking…"

Mihoshi giggled harder, turning from side to side, clearly embarrassed. "Well…"

"Forget about it, Mihoshi. I'm sorry, but I'm telling you this for your own good. Don't even THINK about doing anything with him. As far as I know, he's leaving anyway after Russ awakens out of his coma. I don't even think he apologized to Aeka yet. He said he was sorry to everybody else except for the one who needed it the most!" Kiyone said, calming down. "I'm worried about you, and not only that, according to Russ, he's nothing but a playboy!"

Continuing to look out the window, Mihoshi sighed quietly, dreaming of what could be her first real boyfriend and the fun she could have, much in the same way Russ and Aeka enjoy each other. When she arrived on Earth and after saying with the family for a while, Lord Katsuhito had asked her if she had a boyfriend. Then, to her surprise, he asked her if she'd be Tenchi's girlfriend. She remembered acting all embarrassed, surprised, and nervous, but Katsuhito seemed to approve of her over both Aeka and Ryoko. She was the only one who was asked by Katsuhito, and it felt somewhat strange. Still unable to determine why, she always pondered that question in her mind. Was it her innocence? Maybe it was her happy, carefree demeanor? Or could it have been something that she didn't think of that Katsuhito was able to see? Would Zorpheus see the same thing, or was he looking for just another one night fling?

Thinking back on herself, Mihoshi wondered if maybe she should have just one night with Zorpheus. Would he move on like he had with the others, or would he keep her for life? Was Zorpheus even looking for a relationship? Granted, he was very strong, very powerful, but he also seemed to have a certain gentleness about him that both Tenchi and Russ possessed. Was it that, which attracted her to Tenchi, Zorpheus, and even Russ? If Aeka weren't so protective over Russ the day that they met, she felt that she would've fallen for him. However, watching him reject Aeka again and again, she wasn't sure if she could take the same thing and endure it as long as Aeka had.

Aeka seemed to be desperate for someone to love, to hold, and to be with the rest of her life. However, she didn't want just anyone. If that were the case, she would've taken that jerk Serio and had been happy. She was looking for someone who would genuinely love her in return and to be with her the rest of her life. Mihoshi felt the same way, to a point. She wanted someone to have and to hold, and to be told that she was loved, but it couldn't be just anyone. Now, she had known three people who had the traits she was looking for, and she hoped that the last one, Zorpheus, might be available for her.

But, then there was Kiyone. She was the equivalent of a big sister to her, and she couldn't stand it when she'd leave without her or do something without her. It wasn't like she had someone else to be with. Kiyone was always the person she had run to for the longest time, and she was the only one capable of consoling her erratic emotions. But there was something else about her that drew her to Kiyone, again and again. What could it be…?

"MIHOSHI!" Kiyone shouted, her face in front of her partners.

"Kiyaaaaaaa!" she screamed, falling out of her chair in surprise, knocking Kiyone into the console. Fortunately, she avoided bumping any of the controls.

"What are you doing, you airhead?" Kiyone yelled, folding her arms over her chest. "You're supposed to be paying attention to the radio!"

"Do we have an incoming call?" Mihoshi asked, picking herself up off of the floor, brushing off crumbs in the process.

Kiyone pointed to the blinking indicator on the helm and glared at her partner. "What do you think this little light and the buzzer means?"

"That we have an incoming call?" Mihoshi answered, worried.

"That's right. Now answer it," her partner snapped, stepping over to her chair and sitting down again, folding her arms over her chest.

Mihoshi returned to her seat and opened the communications frequency. "Yes? Hello? This is the galaxy police patrol ship, Yagami," she said, watching a visual of their commanding officer flicker onto the viewscreen.

"It took you long enough," he muttered. "What is your report for today?"

"Nothing to report, sir," Kiyone answered. "Same as usual."

"Excellent. You two do good work," he encouraged, seeing Kiyone's look of disgust. "I'm also contacting you to remind you that the Emperor of Jurai and the two queens will be arriving in a couple days. Be ready to receive them."

"Aren't they coming with a fleet of ships? What could we possibly do to help them?" Kiyone asked, surprised.

Frowning, he looked directly into Kiyone's eyes. "We must stay on good terms with Jurai," he returned. "You will provide any service that the Emperor or Empress wants. Is that understood?"

"Yes, sir," Kiyone answered, looking nervous. "Galaxy police patrol ship Yagami, out." Quickly cutting the channel, she sat back in her seat and sighed, reaching up with both of her hands to cradle her oncoming migraine. "This just isn't my week," she whined.

"Cheer up, Kiyone. What could possibly go wrong?" Mihoshi said, cheerily, looking for another snack to munch on.

Keeping quiet as she moved around the various computers, lab equipment, and other items blocking her path, Sasami made her way over to the hospital bed, where she knew she'd find both Aeka and Russ, both keeping each other company, up to a point. Stepping over a box that had various test tubes, beakers, Erlenmeyer flasks, and other glassware, she finally had gotten close enough to see her sister, laying her head on Russ. Stopping her advance, she watched her, waiting to see if she was asleep.

This past week was one of the worst weeks she could ever remember having, here at the Masaki home. Looking at Russ, she did nothing but worry about him since the instant she saw him fall to the ground, seemingly dead. Well, actually, he was dead. Zorpheus explained to her that the regeneration tank was able to restore him and get him going again, much to her surprise and amazement. However, it wasn't able to heal his mind. On several occasions, she had done what her sister was doing, resting her head on his chest, and other times, talked to him as if he were still awake. She'd give him daily reports on what was happening in the house with Zorpheus and the rest of the family, and it made her feel a little better, knowing that Russ just might be able to hear her. Unfortunately, he never gave her any sign that he was even still with the family. Several times, she grasped his hand, almost in tears, begging him to squeeze her hand if he could hear her, but alas, it never happened. And this was day number seven, and it killed her to wonder if and when he'd ever wake up.

Continuing to watch her sister, she felt very worried and concerned for her as well, as she seemed to stop taking care of herself. She only took a bath twice, she almost never ate or drank anything, always claiming that she was fine, and she seemed to become more irritable than before, snapping at anybody who tried to get her to leave Russ's side. She'd always apologize afterwards, but it was becoming more and more apparent that her devotion to Russ was starting to hurt her, both mentally and physically. Fortunately, she felt almost the same way so it was easy for her to understand what her sister was going through, but she knew enough to continue life, even though Russ was currently not a part of it. She missed both Russ and her sister, hoping and praying for a speedy recovery for both Russ and Aeka. The sooner Russ would recover, the sooner her sister would get back to normal.

"Hi, Sasami," Aeka said, keeping her voice low, but she never turned toward her, still laying on Russ, looking comfortable and almost at peace.

"Hi," she answered, coming out of the shadows, making her way to her sister. "Any change?"

Letting out a sigh, she shook her head, squeezing Russ a little tighter. "No."

Approaching the bed from the opposite side, she moved up to Russ and looked into his face, which was blank, but at peace. His rhythmic breathing could just barely be heard, as his allergies weren't bothering him in the sterile section of the lab. His massive arms lay at his sides, some of which had a couple tubes running into them, feeding him. Reaching over and taking his hand in hers, she brought it up and pressed it against her cheek, feeling his warmth. Aeka didn't move from her position.

"Hi Russ," Sasami began. "Things are pretty depressing and boring back at the house without you there," she said. "Tenchi and Ryoko haven't really done anything except clean the house and watch TV. They've been watching Nadesico since they heard about it from you, and they seem to be enjoying it. It is very funny, and I can see why you like it. Zorpheus watches it with them, and he seems to be exactly the way you described him before he came here. But anyway, I finally beat Tekken 3 against the computer on the hardest difficulty. I wish you were there to see it. It felt really good, but I just couldn't get into it without you there encouraging me. Grandpa had come down from the shrine a couple times, checking on everybody and making sure we were all okay. He doesn't seem to mind Zorpheus."

Sasami stopped, seeing her sister's face pull into a disgusted frown. Deciding to change the subject, she continued. "But anyway, Tenchi, Ryoko, and myself all went to the mall the other day, looking for something to do. We rented the Starwars movies and watched those, and that was really cool and neat. That Darth Vader guy scared me the first time I saw him, but it was really awesome to see Luke and him duel with the lightsabers. I can see why you liked that as well. Tom just went a little overboard when he built that crazy ship of his, and after I saw what that thing could do in the movies, it made me a little nervous. But because Tom is such a nice guy, I don't worry about it too much. Nagi and Tom are still up there, visiting each other. Tom had told me that he was telling Nagi of some of the crazy stuff you used to do while you visited him, knowing that you'd be all embarrassed if you ever found out what he was doing. Hopefully, you wake up soon so you can tease him back," she said, smiling. "Kiyone and Mihoshi are still patrolling the solar system, but she told me that most of the interstellar traffic has been sent on a different route to avoid contact with the people of Earth. They say that they're not ready to join the Jurai alliance yet. Ryo-Ohki has been worried about you as well. She asks me how you're doing each time I come out of here, but I have to keep telling her the same thing again and again. It's really making her start to worry. Maybe putting her on your face again would make you wake up," she said, giggling. "But anyway, that's really all I have to tell you for today. Nothing new has really happened. But you get better soon. You're making my sister a wreck."

Cracking a slight smile, Aeka slowly rubbed her hand over Russ's chest, feeling his abdominal muscles. "I miss him," she said, quietly.

"I do too, Aeka," Sasami answered, setting his arm back down on the table and returning to her full height. "I have to go do the laundry now. If anything changes with Russ, come and get us," she said, smiling, and with a twist, she turned to head back to the house. After walking two steps, she stopped and froze with surprise, but she quickly recovered, then smiled.

Zorpheus slowly made his way out of the shadows, holding both a plate of food and a glass of lemonade, his face downcast and worried.

Sitting up and leaning back into her chair, Aeka sighed, and looked over at Sasami. However, she saw someone standing in front of her, and within an instant, her amethyst eyes locked on Zorpheus's ruby ones, and she instantly felt a turmoil of emotions churning inside of her. For a moment, she wasn't sure how to react, but before she said something she knew she shouldn't have, she noticed the plate of food and the lemonade that Zorpheus had with him. Keeping a straight face, she watched him nod to Sasami, then continue toward her and Russ, his expression growing more and more worried by the minute.

He came to a stop in front of her, his eyes never leaving hers, not even for an instant. She could see the intenseness in his eyes, and even though she felt nervous, she remained silent and waited for him to make the first move.

Glancing off to the side, Zorpheus carefully set the plate and glass on a shelf that was nearby, taking care not to spill any of the drink. After doing so, he took several steps back, trying to read Aeka's expression, but he couldn't figure her out. He was expecting her to attack him or at the very least, belittle him for even making his presence known. But he knew that he'd eventually have come to her on his own accord, however, he wished now that he didn't wait so long.

Dropping down to one knee, and then to the other, he placed both of his hands out in front of him, then rested his forehead on the back of his hands. "I might be screwing this up, but I was told that this is the proper way to apologize, or beg forgiveness," he began. Aeka remained quiet, but her expression was that of stone cold steel. "Aeka… I mean… Princess Aeka. I'm sorry it took me eons to come to you to apologize, but I wasn't sure if there ever would be a good time to do so. I know you've heard what happened to me again and again, and I know everybody has told you that it wasn't my fault that I did what I did, but I still must apologize to you, because it WAS me. I am the same man who wasted you, and beat up Russ to the point where he's now lying here in this hospital bed. I don't quite know how to apologize for this, because this is the biggest screw-up I've ever made. For most of my life, I've done things without regret, but this… this I regret. I regret it more than anything else in this universe, and I don't know how to undo what has been done. If I could just wave a magic wand to make everything right again, I would," he said, his body visibly shaking. Aeka's expression remained unchanged. "Princess Aeka, I had never meant for any of this to happen to you or Russ. I don't know what happened to me to push me over the edge, but I'm trying to find out why and who changed me. I'd never do something like I just did… I'm thinking someone else was behind it, but there's no proof of that. Not yet, anyway. The whole thing just doesn't make any sense to me, but I've tried again and again to figure it out, and I keep coming up empty. I don't know what I can say that will alleviate the pain you're currently feeling, as I probably can't do it with words or actions alone. Aeka, I'm truly sorry for everything that has happened, and I can only hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive this monster of a man," he said, keeping his head and face down.

Aeka looked at him, hatred seething through every fiber of her being, but she remained quiet. Yes, she had heard again and again that everything that had happened wasn't Zorpheus's fault, but through the fault of another. But, as the man himself said, there was really no proof. After he got blasted, he just became another person, like if someone turned off a light switch. But the person she was looking at now was the person that Russ had described, before he became obsessed with the Dragonballs. Deciding to keep herself quiet, she continued to glare at him.

Feeling the uncharacteristic silence from her, Zorpheus swallowed a growing lump in his throat. The silence was killing him, but he didn't move. "Aeka," he began again, hoping that he could break the ice with her. "I'm sorry. I had no idea you and Russ were actually in love. I've been with Russ for a long time, and after the incident with his first girlfriend, he basically closed himself off and refused any kind of relationship with anybody, no matter how beautiful the girl or her disposition was. It really made me worry about my friend, as I believe that all men and women should have a shot at loving and being loved, as it is one of the most wonderful feelings that a person could ever have. Russ almost had that feeling with Laurie, but it was ripped away from him prematurely. He felt the love and he knew he probably could've been intimate with her, but he never got the chance. Because he's so sensitive, he blamed himself for everything that went wrong and has since then closed himself off from all women. I tried to get him to become involved again and again, but it was the same thing every time. He'd act like I offered to give him a head cold or something. Needless to say, when you told me that you were in love with him, I could believe it. He is a very easy guy to like and become attached to, but when you told me that he told you that he loved you, I wrote it off as wishful thinking. He's been without a woman for something like three or four years now, and for a while, I thought he had it as far as love is concerned. But he proved me wrong once I did what I did. I've never seen him become so enraged over something in my entire life. I had heard stories about what Russ had done to the pirate gang that attacked Laurie's home world, but I never thought I'd see that kind of rage or feel it myself. But, man, Russ became the devil himself. He sacrificed himself to finish me off and to bring you back. I couldn't believe I was still looking at the same guy and I can't believe I almost blew it for him, after all the hell I went through trying to get him back into a relationship," Zorpheus described, still hunched over.

"We're not a couple," Aeka said, her voice icy. "We never were, and if Russ never wakes up, we never will be."

Holding his breath for a moment, Zorpheus racked his mind for something to say that would help open her up a little more. "I know. It's my fault for everything that has happened. I'm sorry for it, and I regret it."

After a few more moments of silence, Aeka thought of something else. "How did you survive?" she asked, wondering why he wasn't vaporized.

Keeping his head down, he answered her. "Once I knew that anything I did would be overcome by that attack, I put up a shield around myself, and used the instantaneous movement ability to get out of the way. I did get caught in the biggest part of the beam, but my shield held back just enough energy for me to get out of the way. Once I was clear, I collapsed to the ground, and I knew I couldn't continue the fight anymore. My mind felt like it went through a blender, but at least I wasn't angry anymore. I saw Russ move back over to you and drain the last of his energy into you, and that is when I knew that he was in love with you. I never thought I'd see anything like that, and it made me feel regret for the first time in my life. He was my best friend and I would do anything to help him in a situation like the one he was in, but something was wrong with me. I wish I knew what it was."

"I see," Aeka answered. "You may stand up now. I accept your apology."

Slowly raising his head, he looked into her eyes, which still had a tremendous amount of hatred pouring from them. Returning to his feet, he shook his head. "You're a lousy liar, you know. I can see it in your face and your eyes that you don't mean it. There isn't anything that I can do to make you forgive me. I'll have to earn it somehow, but I don't know what to do."

Grinding her teeth, she clenched her fists, trying to restrain the anger she felt toward him. "I know it wasn't your fault, but it is so hard for me to accept it," she finally said. "Forgive me for being…"

"No. No. You have every right to be as mad as you want toward me," Zorpheus interrupted, holding up his hand, causing a look of surprise from the princess. "I could never apologize enough, but just maybe, we can be friends someday. Here," he said, reaching over to the plate, presenting it to Aeka. "Please eat something. Sasami is very worried about you, so I made you this to help you regain your own strength. I put you through way too much and this is literally peanuts compared to what I need to make up for thing, but please, don't make everybody else worry about you too. They're already nervous enough about me and they're very concerned about Russ."

Her jaw hanging open slightly, she sat in stunned silence, completely at a loss at what to say or do. But something in her mind told her to forgive him, as she knew that he couldn't change what he had done. What's done is done. Reaching out to the plate, she accepted it from him, keeping her expression unreadable. "Um… thank you," she answered. Lifting up one of the sandwich halves, she took a bite out of it, chewed it slowly, and swallowed.

"Hopefully, you'll find it at least edible," Zorpheus said, moving over to the hospital bed, getting his first look at Russ in over a week. "I'm sorry to you too, Russ. I wish I never did what I did. Once you reawaken, I will apologize to you, and then I'm gone for good, never to interfere in your life again."

"I don't think you'll have to go that far," Aeka said, watching him. "Like you said, that wasn't the real you who fought against him. I think even Russ could sense that."

"It's so weird," Zorpheus said, shaking his head. "I could see it too, but I couldn't control it. I can remember doing everything, seeing everything, and feeling the anger, but I couldn't figure out why. During the fight, I hated Russ. What I mean is, I just plain hated his guts. I've never hated him in my life, but he did know how to push some buttons with me to make me mad at him at times. It was just all screwed up for me. I don't know what to do or say to Russ when he wakes up again. I'm really worried about him."

Aeka ate another bite out of the sandwich, and then washed it down with a little lemonade, the cold droplets of condensation dripping off of the glass onto her lap. "If it's one thing I learned about him," she said, looking at Zorpheus and then at Russ, "is that he's one of the most forgiving, easy going people I've ever known. There isn't much that can make him upset, and whatever does make him upset, he works it out on his own and keeps his cool."

Nodding, Zorpheus sighed. "That is true, but there was only one other person who had done what I had done, and that was the guy who killed Laurie. That may be just too much for him to overcome again, especially after he told me again and again that he never wanted to become involved anymore because something like that could happen. And it did. I've never experienced any kind of mental anguish like that before, so I don't know how to deal with it. I can't apologize enough to either him or you, and I'm sure the last thing he'll ever want to see is me again."

"Maybe," Aeka said. "We won't know until he comes back to us."

"True," he responded. "Anyway, why don't you tell me about how Russ and you managed to get as far as you did? It's a freakin' miracle that Russ even reopened his heart, and I'm honored to be standing next to the woman who has done it."

Looking up at him, she could see the happiness in his face. Shifting positions in her chair, she sighed. "Well, actually, he only said that he'd go out with me after he had his battle with you," she began. "He's been living with us for around a year, and he has been one of the most fun people to ever enter my life. I almost fell in love with him at first sight, as I had never seen someone as built as he was. I still remember watching him stumble over to me, and then kneeling down to kiss my hand. I think he felt something toward me on the first day, but he shot down any expectation I had when I approached him while he was training. He told me flat out that he wasn't interested, and it came as such a shock to me that I became upset in front of him. I've never been rejected so suddenly before, and I guess he felt sorry for me, because he comforted me from that day forward. It was just so easy to become attached to him," she described, remembering the first day he arrived.

"I know," Zorpheus said, resting against the hospital bed, facing Aeka. "He is a very nice guy, and it's that which makes him so attractive. He's the kind of guy who could probably get a rock to be his friend if he tried hard enough. He aims to please."

Aeka smiled. "He actually doesn't get along with Washu very well," she said, remembering various arguments that erupted between the two. "She is the smartest person I've ever known, but even she winds up being wrong at times. She really can't stand it when someone else corrects her, and that resulted in several arguments between the two. She has really accurate and complex ways of explaining things, but Russ will sometimes interject and say, 'It's much easier just to do this,' and then he'd go off and show her how. Surprisingly, Sasami and Tenchi both go to Russ now whenever they have a question, as they can understand him more easily than if it came from Washu. I think she's a little jealous."

Zorpheus smiled. "You know, Russ is very good at certain things, but when it comes to Science, I am the man. I wonder if she could benefit from a lab assistant," he said, looking thoughtful.

"Well, that's up to her, but it may be worth asking her."

"Anyway, we got off track," he said, looking for a place to sit down. Unfortunately, there were no chairs nearby, so he just sat down on the floor, yoga style. "When did you really start to become attached to Russ? And him to you?"

"That's really none of your business," she responded, haughtily, turning up her nose at him.

"Aww, come on," Zorpheus pried. "You know you want to."

Glancing down at him again, she let a small smile creep onto her lips. "Guilty as charged," she said. "I think it was around either Startica or Christmas when I really started becoming obsessive over him. He had done things that nobody ever would've done for me, like bringing my ship back from destruction. He always smiled and always had a happy demeanor around me. I could see that he enjoyed my company, and it really showed when I'd train with him. He's incredibly gentle and caring, and he's also the only other person to treat me as a normal person rather than a figurehead. As you know, I am the Princess of Jurai, and because of that, I have a reputation to uphold. There is a façade about me that he was able to see through, and find the real me under it all. Tenchi was the only other person to do that, but Russ just had something about him that drew me more to him than I ever had been toward Tenchi. I don't know if it was the lack of competition or the fact that he was hard to get. For a while, I thought he was playing hard to get, and it took almost six months of prying to finally get him to reveal why he was holding back. It hurt me again and again to keep hearing him say, 'I'm sorry,' to me. I lost count of how many times I had asked him and how many times he turned me down. I just hoped and prayed that one day he'd say, 'Yes, Aeka. I do love you, and I want to be with you for the rest of my life.' That was the only line I had ever wanted to hear from him since Christmas, and I got him so close to it last week that it's killing me to wait for him to wake up again. I want to hear him say he loves me, and I want him to hold me and care for me forever. He's the man I want, and there isn't another one alive that will keep me from him," she said, looking dead serious. "But he could see the problems with becoming involved with me. Yes, it is true that I am royalty, and because of that, a relationship becomes far more complex. The fact of the matter is that my Father is the one who chooses a fiancée for me, and expects me to marry him, despite what I want."

"Well that sucks," Zorpheus commented, concerned. "You mean you don't get to choose?"

"Yes and no," she answered. "My father chooses a group of others for me to choose from. Each person can benefit the empire equally, and I can pick the one I like the most. But the problem was that all of them had a face, or a disposition that seemed entirely not real. They'd present me with gifts that were literally quite priceless and tell me that I'm the most beautiful girl in the universe, but I just got the feeling that none of them meant it, or that they were reading from a script. I never got the feeling from any of them that they were telling me that, straight from their heart."

Looking over at another part of the lab for a moment, Zorpheus's face was a mask of thought. "But Russ was the one who didn't seem to care about power and glory, right?"

Aeka nodded. "Yes. He didn't care about wealth or power, and neither did Tenchi. I think that is what attracted me to both of them so strongly. They said everything from their own minds and their own hearts, and it was real. It didn't feel scripted, and it didn't feel false. They treated me like a normal person, and not one who was up on a pedestal, not to be touched or tainted. It feels as if I was brought down to their level, or they came up to mine. Tenchi and Russ both enjoy my company, but Tenchi was caught in between Ryoko and myself. As you can tell, Ryoko won that competition, but after a time, Russ came to live with us. And the wonderful thing was is that he also treated me normally. He was kind, compassionate, and he listened to my troubles without ever complaining. He'd hold me when I was feeling down, and he'd always do something to make me smile again. Yet, again and again, he said that we were only friends and nothing more. But I wanted something more. I still want more. I want him. I have to have him. And there is almost nothing in this universe that could stop me."

"Sounds like you're stuck to him worse than chewing gum in a carpet," Zorpheus said, admiring her. "But what are you going to do when your father shows up?"

Aeka's face became downcast, and she clasped her hands in front of her, worried. "He will insist on taking me home. He will tell me that Russ is a failure as a protector, and do nothing except badger and beleaguer him as he always had done. He thinks that Russ has nothing to offer the empire, but what he doesn't realize is that Russ DOES have something to offer. If Russ were on our side, there wouldn't be another empire that would dare to challenge us. His presence alone is more than enough to benefit the empire, but my father doesn't look for that. He looks for material possessions, such as ships, weapons, and money. My father always insisted that I have the best, but not in the terms of the man himself."

Sitting in silence, Zorpheus continued to listen, concerned about what could happen when the King arrived.

"Still, I shall resist my father and remain here. My mother approves of Russ, but my father is vehemently against him. My father's word is final. My mother can only try to influence his decision, but if he never agrees, it will never happen. There is only one person alive who could stop him, and he's laying here unconscious in front of me," she said, looking depressed. "If he doesn't wake up, there won't be anybody around to stop my father from carrying out his wishes. He will force me to return home, whether I want to go or not."

"You do love Russ, don't you?" Zorpheus said, quietly.

Looking surprised at him, she began to blush. "Yes."

"And do you believe that he loves you just as much if not more?"

"Yes."

Sighing to himself, Zorpheus clenched his fist, looking into Aeka's eyes with that same intenseness she had seen before. "I will stop him if Russ cannot. I will do it to make both him and you happy, and to begin to redeem myself in your eyes," he decreed, smacking his fist in the palm of his hand. "I care about Russ like a brother, and I will not let anything happen to him or you."

Sitting there in shock, Aeka's jaw dropped for the second time, stunned at such a radical offer. This guy was such a total one eighty from when she first saw him that she almost expected the entire thing to be nothing more than a charade. But there was something completely sincere that she could see in his face, which was one of pure honesty. As he sat there, she could see that he definitely was a changed man, and it amazed her that someone, aside from Russ or Tenchi, would do something like that for her.

"Aeka?" Zorpheus asked, seeing her look of surprise.

"Are you serious?" she finally said, her face full of hope.

"Completely," he answered, his gaze never faltering. "If it is what you want, I will defend you and Russ from your father."

"You shouldn't meddle in our affairs," she said, her face becoming downcast again. "I don't need someone else making an enemy of my father."

"I already did that when I murdered you," Zorpheus responded. "I'm probably on your father's shit list if anything. Probably your mother's too."

"No. If what you say is true, then my mother would forgive you without a second thought."

"But your father will want my head on a platter, no doubt."

Aeka hung her head, ashamed of her father. "Possibly. He's coming here with an entire fleet of ships for protection. Once I'm onboard, he'll take me back home."

"Not if I stop him," Zorpheus answered. "I will protect you in Russ's absence. I will do anything to set myself straight for you, and to help you in any way I can. I can only apologize to you through words and my actions, and I will do what I think is right."

"I've already accepted your apology," the princess returned. "There is no need for you to get involved anymore. You've done your part, and because of what you've done, you made Russ confess himself to me, and I owe you some thanks for that."

"But you have to… Whoa, back the truck up. There's no way you could be serious about what you just said," Zorpheus exclaimed, appalled and completely taken off guard.

"It's true. If you hadn't killed me, I might not have ever known Russ's true feelings toward me. I know he said he'd go out with me if everything went okay after the fight, and I had a strong feeling that Russ held an attraction to me, but after so many refusals, after so much hurt and heartbreak, I almost didn't believe it. I didn't believe it, actually, until Russ brought me back. He sacrificed himself to me, and that is what told me that he loved me like no other."

"I will do my best to keep you two together," Zorpheus said, gently taking her hand and clasping it, feeling her warmth. "I promise." He then gave a short laugh. "Your father thinks Russ is bad news… Just wait until he gets a load of me."

"I…" she began. "Thank you. That means a lot to me," she finally said, after a moment of silence. "I had no idea that you and Russ were so close."

Zorpheus grinned. "When we were a team, we were unstoppable. There wasn't a foe around that could defeat us. And I'll be damned if there is one that exists who can. He is my partner, and I'm glad to be back by his side, and I will make sure both you and him remain happy. I know how Russ was hurt after the death of Laurie, but I'm so happy to find that he found another that is so much in love with him. There just isn't another way about it."

Tears formed at the edges of her eyes as she smiled, feeling a tremendous amount of fear, worry, and depression be lifted from her mind. "I thank you, Zorpheus."

Smiling happily, Zorpheus rose to his feet. "There is something you can do that can thank me a whole lot more," he said, letting a sly grin creep onto his lips, letting out a sinister chuckle.

Aeka's eyes widened, as the fear and terror returned to her in an instant, feeling her heart start racing with a huge adrenaline rush. However, Zorpheus started laughing, which confused her further.

"Psyche!" he said with a smirk. "But seriously, if you want to thank me, come with me to the house. Ryoko, Tenchi, Sasami, Ryo-Ohki, Nobuyuki, Washu, and myself would like to take you out of here to relax. You've been here for so long, wasting away, and you remind me of a gorgeous bird in a cage, unable to escape. Would you please join us in going to the mall, to the park, and later, for ice cream? You'll have to put up with me for quite a while, but eh, I'm sure you'll survive. Plus the rest of the family would like to see you back to normal."

Looking hurt, Aeka shook her head. "I can't leave Russ's side," she said, brushing the tears from her eyes. "I must…"

"Russ ain't going anywhere. He'll be fine," Zorpheus encouraged. "It isn't doing you or him any good for you to keep sitting here," he argued. "Please come with us. It'll do you good."

"I… shouldn't," she returned, still hesitating.

Kneeling down in front of her, he put his face directly in front of hers. "No use arguing with me about it, princess," he said, grinning. "If you think Russ was stubborn, you haven't seen anything yet," he said, taking her hand. "Let's go. Your sister and everybody else are waiting for you. It'd be embarrassing for them to see you being dragged out there, but if you don't come peacefully, I might have to bring myself to do it. I can see it now in the Jurian newspapers! First Princess Dragged Kicking and Screaming out of Lab like Small Child! Friends and Family Stunned!"

"Stop it," she mumbled, but her heart wasn't in resisting anymore, and she couldn't help but smile at the joke. "I want to stay here."

Zorpheus just chuckled as he gently led her out of the lab by her hand. Turning around once more, she took one more look at Russ, still unconscious on the table.

"I'll be back soon, Russ," she called, as she disappeared into the shadows.

"Aeka!" Sasami shouted, running up to her sister, who just emerged from the lab. "It's so wonderful to see you out here again!"

Sasami, Nobuyuki, Tenchi, Ryoko, Washu, and Ryo-Ohki were all seated in the living room, awaiting her arrival. They all had a funny feeling that Zorpheus would be the one to lead her out of the lab, and their faith wasn't misplaced. Everybody smiled at her, giving her a warm welcome, checking to make sure she was still okay. Zorpheus just stood to the side, grinning triumphantly.

"It's about time you came out of there, your royal lowness," Ryoko taunted, approaching her. "But I'm glad to see you're doing much better."

"Thank you," Aeka said, looking shy and embarrassed. "Thank you all for being so supportive to me and Russ. I'm sorry I made you all worry."

"Forget about it," Tenchi said, grinning. "Are you ready to go? We have several hours of things planned out for us to do."

"Where are Kiyone and Mihoshi?" Aeka asked, noticing their absence.

"They're still on patrol," Washu said, standing up from the couch, dressed in casual earth clothes. Zorpheus did his best to keep from ogling her, but he couldn't help but eye her from top to bottom, feeling himself become a little flushed. She looked absolutely fantastic in the t-shirt and shorts she was wearing.

"At least the rain finally stopped," Nobuyuki said, standing up and moving over to Aeka. "I'm very happy to see that you've come out of the lab and have joined us again. I hope you have a good time today," he said, smiling.

Checking the time, which was now three in the afternoon, she sighed quietly, deciding to finally take her mind off of her troubles for just a little while. Everybody was trying to be so nice to her, and she knew she couldn't be rude to everyone, especially after everything that they all went through. Reluctantly following the family out of the house and into the van, she sincerely hoped that Russ would be okay without anybody there. Looking back at the house once more, she barely heard anyone trying to talk to her.

"Aeka? Are you okay?" Tenchi asked, noticing how distracted she was.

"Huh? Oh. I'm sorry, Tenchi. What was it that you were saying?" Aeka asked, looking down into her lap.

"We were thinking of going to see a movie. Is there anything you'd like to see? It's your day today, so we'd like to make the most of it," he told her, smiling.

"I don't know what's playing. I haven't been paying much attention to things like that lately."

Ryoko elbowed her in the arm, gently. "Come on. There has to be something you want to see," she encouraged, smiling, hoping that Aeka would forget about Russ for just five minutes at the very least.

"You choose, Ryoko. You and I like pretty much the same stuff. Is there anything you want to see? I'm sure I'd like it too," she answered.

"Well, there is this new movie that was just released a few days ago…" Ryoko started to say, but she heard Tenchi's groan. Turning around, she saw him frowning, but that only made her laugh. "What's wrong, Tenchi?" she teased.

Glaring at her for a moment, he shook his head. "I can deal with it," he mumbled.

"What does Tenchi want to see?" Aeka asked, looking at him.

"It's what he doesn't want to see," Ryoko returned, grinning. "It's right up our alley, but he hates the stuff we love. He wants to see this new action movie that came out a little while back, but it's still playing."

"Oh. Well, maybe we should go see that instead?" Aeka suggested, watching Tenchi become surprised.

"Forget it," Ryoko argued. "This is our day out, and we're going to see what we want to see. Not some beat'em up, shoot'em up action flick that has no plot."

"HEY!" Tenchi growled. "That movie is awesome. My schoolmates were talking about that one for months before it came out."

"Oh please. Boys have no taste when it comes to movies," Ryoko said, swooning and clasping her hands together. "Us women know what is good. Isn't that right, Aeka?"

"Oh yes. I love watching movies that try to make you unhappy and cry," Tenchi muttered, sarcastically. "It's an hour and a half long soap opera! I'd rather have a happy ending where the bad guys are defeated in the most colorful way possible, usually involving huge explosions or cool effects!"

"Yeah!" Nobuyuki said from the driver seat, looking in the rear view mirror. "That's that new Matrix Reloaded movie, isn't it? I can't wait to see that one!"

Sasami sat next to Nobuyuki in the front of the van, looking out of the window, only paying attention to about half of the argument.

"Ahhh! That's finally out?" Zorpheus said, making himself known for the first time. "I'll be damned before I miss that."

Ryoko shot him the look of death, causing him to grin widely. "We're going to see Dawning of the Day, and that's final!"

"We're going to see The Matrix Reloaded!" Tenchi argued back.

Washu sat quietly in her seat, trying to keep her expression blank, but on the inside, she couldn't help but find the entire spectacle hilarious.

"Dawning of the Day!" Ryoko said, raising her voice, staring down at Tenchi.

"The Matrix Reloaded!" Tenchi shot back, clenching his fist. "There's no way I'm going to sit through another chick flick! All they do is put me to sleep!"

"Preach it, Brotha!" Zorpheus encouraged, giving Tenchi a thumb up. "I've had more fun watching snail races."

Ryoko looked about ready to explode, but she calmed down a moment later. Turning toward the princess, she gave her the best pitiful look she could muster. "What do YOU want to see, Aeka?"

All eyes turned to her as she became shy and withdrawn, looking down in her lap. "I… um…"

"Come on, Aeka. You know you want to see lots of things get blown up," Zorpheus said, grinning. "How better to take out your aggressions in a passive way?"

"Shut up!" Ryoko snarled. "Nobody asked you." Turning back toward Aeka, she resumed her pitiful look. "You want to see Dawning of the Day, don't you?"

"Well… yes… but…" she said, but she was silenced by Ryoko.

"She said yes, so we're going to go see our movie," Ryoko said, triumphantly, folding her arms over her chest, grinning.

"Aeka was about to say something else, weren't you, princess?" Zorpheus said, smiling.

"NO SHE WASN'T!" Ryoko yelled, not about to relinquish her victory.

Zorpheus grinned. "Yeah she was. Would you mind if Nobuyuki, Tenchi, and myself went to see The Matrix, and you, Washu, and Ryoko go see your movie? It would work out fine if the movies start and end at the same time," he suggested.

"No! I don't want to see any movie without my Tenchi!" Ryoko yelled, clutching his arm.

"You just went and signed yourself up with The Matrix," Zorpheus said, grinning.

"Hell no! We're all going to go see Dawning of the Day, and there isn't a damn thing you can do about it!" she argued.

"It's okay," Aeka said, finally finding her voice. "They can go see their movie and we can see ours. It's no big deal, really."

"But…" Ryoko said, her tone defeated.

Now Zorpheus was grinning widely. "You heard the lady! She said that it was okay, so that's the way it's going to be!" he said, clapping his hands together. "I've been waiting for a long time to see this."

"You guys are impossible!" Ryoko snapped, turning her nose up at everybody. "I guess I can see that stupid movie. We seem to be outnumbered anyway, Aeka."

Letting a small smile creep onto her lips, she shook her head. "It's okay. I don't mind seeing an action movie. It might be good."

"It's great!" Zorpheus said, excited. "I saw previews of that a year or two ago and couldn't WAIT to see it. The original Matrix was awesome too. It had huge gunfights, lots of explosions, and ever since, I've been waiting for this day."

"How can watching something explode be so fun?" Ryoko argued, flustered. "I don't get it!"

"Knowing you, Ryoko, I'm surprised that you don't want to see it," Zorpheus said, grinning at her. "You probably like porno more, don't you?"

Instantly Nobuyuki turned red, but Ryoko became infuriated. "WHAT?! How dare you! I don't watch any porn!"

Zorpheus started laughing, pointing his finger at her. "I knew it. She, at the very least, used to be a porn freak," he teased.

"Come on, stop it," Tenchi said, trying to head off the carnage. "This isn't the time for a fistfight."

"But I don't watch any porn, Tenchi!" Ryoko whined, looking embarrassed.

"Of course you don't. You make your own, right?" Zorpheus interjected, trying to keep himself from laughing.

"I'LL KILL YOU!" Ryoko yelled, lunging at him, her arms outstretched as she tried to put her hands around his throat, but Tenchi was restraining her.

"You better stop it, Zorpheus," Tenchi warned. "She'll tear you apart."

"She could try," he answered, smiling. "She's quite a wildcat, isn't she? Reeewowr!"

"No I'm not!" Ryoko nearly shouted, finally sitting back down, her eyes burning with rage and embarrassment.

"Oh, chill out. I'm only teasing you," Zorpheus said, eyeing Aeka, who was looking out of the window. "But anyway, this movie has enough fun, action, romance, and other stuff to keep you girls occupied," he said, relaxing. The van hit a bump in the road, causing Zorpheus's pointy hair to hit the ceiling. "Besides, with your body, you'd make a killing!"

Ryoko sat in her seat, shooting daggers from her eyes at Zorpheus. "I'm trying to decide whether or not that was a compliment or an insult," she growled.

Aeka wasn't paying too much attention to the ongoing feud between Ryoko and Zorpheus, but she couldn't help but feel relieved that they were making such an effort to make her feel better. The sunlight felt good on her skin, and the temperature was very pleasant. She had her window open and she could feel the wind blowing through her long, silky hair, and it felt almost as if she were flying. She could still feel the moisture in the air from the rain, and it just felt wonderful.

"I hope Russ is okay," Aeka said aloud, barely audible.

"He'll be fine, Aeka," Washu assured her. "He's just sleeping like a baby. I'm not surprised that he hasn't woken up yet. He used one heck of a lot of energy that day."

"You're not kidding," Zorpheus said, looking over at Washu. "To be honest, I'm surprised he didn't self-destruct from that buildup of ki."

"Well anyway," Washu said, changing the subject. "After the movies, we'll do a little shopping, then go get some ice cream and eat it at the park. The temperature is supposed to remain pleasant throughout the remainder of the day, so everything should be great. Just enjoy yourself, Aeka. You deserve it."

Aeka remained silent, waiting for the moment when she'd return home.

Beep… Beep… Beep…

It was the only sound that could be heard in Washu's lab aside from the steady hum of her computers. Still beating at a steady sixty beats a minute, it continued to measure Russ's heartbeat, logging it into its internal memory, as it had done for the past week. The green dot on the screen, scrolling to the side, jumped with each heartbeat, giving a visual representation of it.

Beep… Beep… Beep…

Still lying motionless on his hospital bed, he had remained in the same position for the entire time. His body never moved, as if it were tied to the bed by some invisible force.

Beep… Beep… Beep…

Aeka had wondered if he ever dreamed while he was lying there. Maybe, dreaming of her, at the very least. It was torture to wait for him to reawaken, but Washu couldn't tell her when he would.

Beep… Beeeeeeep… Beep…

The sound of the cardiac monitor continued to echo around the vastness of Washu's laboratory, as if to tell all the inanimate objects there that Russ's heart was still beating, even though it appeared that he was dead.

Beep.. Beep.. Beep.

Oddly enough, his heart rate began to rise, and the amount of air he was taking in with each breath was increasing in volume.

Beep. Beep. Beep.

With a huge gasp of air, Russ's eyes opened to the dimness of his surroundings, the heart monitor beeping faster than it had since being connected to him. Barely able to move, Russ slowly focused his eyes on his surroundings, unable to figure out where he was. The incessant beeping was starting to get on his nerves as well.

Beep. Beep. Beeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee….

According to the monitor, Russ's heartbeat had stopped, even though he was sitting upright in his bed, finally having moved after lying still for so long. Holding the dangling cords in his hand, he looked at them curiously, wondering why they were attached to him. Wasn't he supposed to be dead?

Reaching over to the monitor, he turned it off, silencing it instantly. Sliding off of the bed, he landed gently on his feet, feeling a tinge of pain in most of his joints because of atrophy. Also feeling a tugging sensation on his left arm, he looked down to see a tube embedded in his vein. Peeling back the tape that held it in place, he carefully pulled it out of his arm, drawing in a breath between his clenched teeth from the weird, but painless sensation. Drops of blood dripped from the wound, but Russ replaced the tape, using it as a temporary bandage.

"Am I still alive?" he questioned, his voice echoing from every direction, reverberating many times before silencing itself. "I couldn't be, but this place sure doesn't look like Heaven."

Moving away from the bed slowly, he carefully made his way into the darkness, hearing the quiet hum of a power coupling nearby. Using it to get his bearings, he strained his eyes, trying to peer into the blackness, which was only broken by the small number of nightlights placed sparsely throughout the gigantic lab.

Working a kink out of his neck, Russ moved his head from side to side, feeling several cracks in his neck release some of his stiffness. Groaning quietly from the relief, he knelt down, feeling his knees, ankles, toes, and hips crack and pop with release. Bringing his hands together, he pressed his palms outward with his fingers intertwined with each other, feeling most of the joints in his fingers crackle in a strange medley of noise, as he groaned with satisfaction and pleasure.

Slowly moving forward, he put his hand out in front of him, letting a soft glow emanate from a ball of energy he formed in his palm, illuminating his path.

"This is a big lab," he said to himself, still hearing his voice and feet echo around him. "I guess this could be Heaven, but more so for Washu than for me."

Making his way across the floor, taking extra time to keep his balance, he made his way to the doorway of the lab. With a gentle twist, he opened the door and stepped through it, never looking back.

Bright light greeted his eyes as he pushed his way into the Masaki home, causing him to groan and shield his eyes. Standing in the doorway for a few moments, he waited for his eyes to adjust to the intenseness of the sunlight pouring in through the living room windows. Pulling his arm away, he looked into the house, not having set foot within those hollowed walls for quite some time.

"I'm still alive," he whispered. "Why?"

Moving over to the couch, he gently placed his hand on the soft material, as he looked at the living room, as if it were his first time there in his life. He could see the trees outside of the windows, swaying gently in the breeze that was blowing. The temperature was very pleasant as he felt the wind move over his skin, which was clean and unscathed. No scars existed, and it looked almost brand new. Noticing that he was still in tattered clothes, he scratched his head in wonder. Raising his energy a little, a bright white light flashed around him, creating a fresh and new, blue colored gi. Listening to the sound of the light breeze blowing in through the screens, he realized that nobody else was home. Trying to sense them, he couldn't find them.

"So I'm alone," he said out loud. Sighing quietly, only one thing entered his mind. Moving over to the karaoke machine, he set up the microphone on the organ, preparing to play a song that he thought he'd never get around to playing. A song dedicated to Aeka. Catching a glimpse of the time on the VCR, it had read only three fifteen in the afternoon.

Sitting down on the organ, making sure the karaoke machine was recording, he began to play, singing the lyrics in English, as they were meant to be.

"Kiiiiiiyoneeeeee! I'm hungry!"

"NOT AGAIN!"

Mihoshi, giving Kiyone her best 'feed me' look, appeared to be wasting away, even though she had only eaten two hours ago.

"Please can we eat? I'm starving," she begged, teary-eyed.

"You just ate a few hours ago! How can you be hungry again!?" Kiyone shouted, grinding her teeth in rage.

Mihoshi's stomach groaned, telling her that it wanted food and it wanted it now. "I'm so hungry," she whined.

"You've eaten more than Russ does in one sitting today! How can you possibly be hungry again?" she returned, shaking her head.

"I don't know! I just felt so hungry all of the sudden. I have to eat something or I'll starve!"

"Argh! You won't starve for not eating for a few hours! Did you already eat all the junk food we brought onboard?" Kiyone asked, eyeing the mess on the floor. "What a disaster."

Mihoshi got up and went into the back, trying to find something edible.

"I can't believe her," Kiyone mumbled, talking to herself. "She's so irritating! Why oh why did I have to get stuck with her as a partner? We've had promotion after promotion pass us by because of her! That's all she does is hold me back with her clumsiness and stupidity! How in the world could someone even conceive someone like her?! She almost doesn't seem human!" she growled, shaking her head. "Mihoshi has the body of a twenty-four year old supermodel but the brain of a whiny five year old!"

"What's wrong, Kiyone?" Mihoshi asked, poking her head out of the back, having heard Kiyone mumble her name.

Turning around in surprise, she quickly shook her head. "N… Nothing. You find anything to eat?"

The look of desperation on Mihoshi's face was all Kiyone needed to see to deduce the correct answer. "Come on. We'll be home in a couple hours. We'll have dinner about eight, and it's five thirty now. Can't you just wait?"

Hearing Mihoshi's stomach croak again, Kiyone slammed her head on the console in frustration, half hoping that she hit it hard enough to knock her out for a few hours. Sitting back up, she felt a throbbing pain on her forehead, accompanied by a huge red welt. "WHY ME?!"

"That was such a cool movie!" Sasami said for the third time, making her way over to the dessert shop. "It was a lot of fun to see!"

Zorpheus, Tenchi, and Nobuyuki all grinned, as they greatly enjoyed the movie. Ryoko, Washu, and Aeka also enjoyed it, but not quite as much as the guys.

"It was okay," Ryoko mumbled, folding her arms over her chest, glaring at Tenchi. "I still would've rather seen my movie."

"Hey, you were getting into it as much as we were, Ryoko," Tenchi returned, smiling at her. "I saw your jaw hanging open at some of the really cool gunfight scenes."

"I still think Aeka would've enjoyed Dawning of the Day more," she argued back.

Aeka turned toward her and smiled. "We'll see it another day. It's a brand new movie, so it should be in theaters for a while longer, right?"

"As far as I know," Ryoko answered, reaching over and taking Tenchi's hand in hers. "Tenchi is going to come see it with us, since we saw his movie."

"I never agreed to that," he said, looking surprised.

Ryoko turned toward him with one of the most hurt expressions she ever mustered. "You won't see it with me, even after I saw your movie with you?" she whimpered.

Tenchi looked shocked at her expression, but he smiled and shook his head. "I'm teasing you, Ryoko. Yes, I will go see Dawning of the Day with you."

"I knew you were teasing, Tenchi," Ryoko said, grinning.

"Hi. What can I get you guys for today?" the cashier asked, smiling happily. She was a young girl, about eighteen, with long orange hair tied behind her head with a blue ribbon. She had deep, penetrating red eyes and freckles around her cheeks, and she was very cute.

Zorpheus looked at her and noticed that she had a stunning resemblance to Ritsuko from Those Who Hunt Elves. For a moment, he debated on asking her for something that wasn't on the menu.

"So, what do you guys want for desert?" Nobuyuki asked, fishing out his wallet. "Everything is on me, so get what you want."

"I want a vanilla cone, dipped in chocolate!" Sasami asked, giving a big smile.

"Small, medium, or large?"

"Medium, please. I had a lot of popcorn at the theater."

Nodding her head, she moved to the soft-serve machine. "What did you guys go see?"

"The Matrix Reloaded," Sasami answered.

"Awesome. I wanted to see that too. How was it?" she asked, filling the cone with a heaping portion of ice cream. It almost looked like the Leaning Tower of Pisa.

"It was great! I wouldn't mind seeing that one again."

"Cool. Well, here you go," she said, handing over the cone. "Next?"

"I'll have a peanut buster parfait," Tenchi requested, noticing that Ryoko was still looking at the menu. "She'll have an Oreo flurry."

"Coming right up," she said, rushing to get the desserts.

"What's an Oreo flurry?" Ryoko asked, confused. "I've never really been to many dessert shops. You never take me anywhere."

"That's not true! We went out to eat two weeks ago!" Tenchi argued.

"Yeah. Two weeks ago. It'd be nice to do stuff more often!"

Tenchi groaned, shaking his head. "I'm sorry Ryoko, but you know I have a million responsibilities around the house. If you girls weren't there to help out, I'd probably die from exhaustion. At least summer vacation is here, so I'll have more time to spend with you, Ryoko."

The demoness smiled warmly, her face full of love and happiness. "I can't wait, Tenchi."

"Here are your desserts," the girl said, handing over the two cups. "Who's next?"

Ryoko and Tenchi bowed respectfully, and stepped aside to allow everybody else a turn.

Zorpheus approached the counter, a crooked grin on his face. The girl on the other side of the counter blushed, as she looked him up and down, getting an eyeful. Folding her hands in front of her, she turned up her cuteness factor, causing Zorpheus to grin a little wider.

"Can I help you?" she asked, quietly, not looking him in the eyes.

"Can you just give me one of those tubs of chocolate ice cream?" he asked, pointing to the five-gallon bucket that held the dessert.

"I beg your pardon?" she asked, her eyes wide.

Again, Zorpheus pointed to the tub. "Can I have that with a spoon, please?" he asked again, looking half serious and half joking.

"Um… I don't know if my manager will let us do that," she said, looking concerned. "If you like, I can ask."

"How much would that cost, anyway?" Zorpheus asked, fishing out a wallet. Opening it, he revealed a bunch of Japanese currency inside, which was worth no less than forty thousand yen. Turning back toward Nobuyuki, who looked quite pale, he grinned. "It's okay. I'll pay for myself."

"Where'd you get all that money?" Tenchi asked, noticing the numbers on the bills.

"From Russ," he answered, simply.

"You know what? I'm not even going to ask how," Tenchi said, moving over to a table. "Come on, Ryoko."

Turning back toward the girl, Zorpheus fished out a five thousand yen bill. "Is this enough?" he asked, looking at her.

"I really should ask my manager. Hold on a moment," she said, running to the back room. Several other people who were at the counter looked at him strangely, but continued eating, trying to ignore him.

Aeka glared at him. "Why did you have to do that?" she asked.

"Do what?"

"Nobody gets a five gallon bucket of ice cream for dessert!" she argued, keeping her voice level. "People come here to get a simple dessert like a sundae or whatever, but not enough ice cream to feed an army!"

Zorpheus cleared his throat. "Um, you have seen Russ eat, haven't you?"

"Of course!"

"I am just like him."

Aeka's glare melted into a frown. "Oh…"

"Yeah."

The girl came back out of the office, and she smiled. "The bossman says you can have the bucket for four thousand, five hundred yen."

"I'll take it," Zorpheus answered, handing over the bill. She quickly produced his change and went into the back to get a fresh tub of ice cream. Returning momentarily, she set it up on the counter with a look that basically said, "You're nuts."

"Here you go, sir," she said, sliding it toward him. "Have a nice day."

"Can I get a spoon please?"

"Sure." Reaching behind her, she handed over several pink colored, plastic spoons.

Zorpheus bowed respectfully and lifted his rather absurd treat. "Thank you kindly."

"May I help the next customer please?" she recited, eyeing Zorpheus one last time, and then watched Aeka approach the counter.

"I'd like a small hot fudge sundae with butter pecan and jamoca almond fudge, with nuts and cherries," she requested, smiling. "It's Russ's favorite."

"Whipped cream too?"

"Yes please."

Turning away, the girl quickly made haste to prepare the dessert.

"I wish Russ was here with me," Aeka said, looking depressed. "He absolutely loves that combination of ice cream. I still remember the first time he introduced me to it."

Zorpheus smiled at her. "I know. He's been getting that same combination of ice cream for as long as I can remember. I think he told me he got started on that when his dad introduced it to him back when he was only about six years old."

Nodding her head, Aeka continued to have a distant look on her face. "Yes, he told me that too. He treated Sasami and I to ice cream a long time ago back when Tenchi and Ryoko went to the beach, and that's when I tasted it for the first time. It's really good, and I've been hooked on it ever since."

"I've always been a chocolate freak," Zorpheus said, grinning. "Chocolate milk, chocolate ice cream with chocolate syrup, or chocolate cake or chocolate pudding, you name it, I'll eat it."

"I'm just going to go over here now," Aeka muttered, heading toward Ryoko, Tenchi, and Sasami.

"What…? Is it something I said?" he asked, confused. "Oh well. Your turn, Washu."

"Nothing for me, thanks," she said, smiling. "Go ahead, Nobuyuki."

"Go on, Washu. Treat yourself," Zorpheus encouraged, still holding his barrel of ice cream.

A glint of evil presented itself in Washu's eye as she looked at him. "Go away and eat your chocolate," she said.

"Meh, whatever. Suit yourself," he said, turning tail and heading toward the group, who were seated at a picnic table in the middle of the park. The table was under a willow tree, and it looked particularly nice and cozy there.

"He's a nice guy, but a little pushy," Washu muttered to herself. Catching notice of the girl behind the counter, she smiled once again. "Do you have anything carrot flavored for this little girl here?" she asked, gesturing to Ryo-Ohki.

The cabbit meowed enthusiastically, hopping up and down lightly on her feet.

"Oh, how adorable!" she said, smiling. "I think I might have something around here that may taste a little bit like carrot." Hurrying away, she began preparing a cone for Ryo-Ohki.

"What about you, Nobuyuki? What do you think of Zorph?" Washu asked, turning toward him.

Looking surprised, he shrugged his shoulders. "He's a nice guy and similar to Russ. I still find it hard to believe that they almost killed each other. Granted, I never saw the fight and I never knew what he was like beforehand, but I think he's pretty much normal."

Washu nodded her head. "Yeah, I can see why you'd see it that way."

The Ritsuko look-a-like returned with a cone of carrot-flavored ice cream. "Here you go, sweetie," she said, handing it over. "I'm surprised we even had something like this."

Ryo-Ohki meowed several times and bowed, then ran off to join the family.

"Can I help you, sir?" she asked.

"I'd like a sundae with parlines 'n cream and baseball nut crunch," he requested.

"Coming right up, sir," she said, leaving the counter again.

Looking at him curiously, she let a crooked grin slip onto her lips. "That's a rather interesting combination of ice cream," she said.

"You think so?" he returned, smiling. "I don't know. It's always been one of my favorites."

"Russ said that his dad loved Parlines 'n Cream. Frankly, I don't know how any of you can eat the stuff, with all the fat that is in it," Washu said, glancing at the frozen treat.

"As long as it is eaten in moderation, there isn't a problem," Nobuyuki said, smiling, as he accepted the sundae from the girl.

"Your total comes to two thousand, three hundred, seventy three yen," she said, reading the cost off of the cash register.

Setting the sundae back on the counter, he fished out his wallet and withdrew a five thousand yen bill. "Here you go."

Quickly making change, she handed it back to Nobuyuki, bowing respectfully. "Thank you very much and enjoy your desserts."

"Thank you," he said, also bowing. Taking his sundae, he walked alongside Washu as they made their way to the picnic table.

"So how has work been treating you?" Washu asked, making casual conversation.

"It's been murderous," he responded, taking a spoonful of ice cream and eating it, feeling the coolness of the dessert slide down his throat. "They're talking about making our day even longer, and possibly not giving us a day off for a month straight. I don't know if I can keep up this level of work for much longer. I'm already super tired when I come home, so all I do is eat and go to bed. I even doze off while reading the newspaper in the morning or when I come home. I don't ever get to relax."

"You've been handling it admirably," Washu said, smiling. "There aren't very many people like you. You're very hard working and you're a wonderful father."

"Thanks Washu," he said, sighing. "I do it all for Tenchi. Ever since his mother died, I've lived only for him. I think he turned out well, despite my shortcomings."

"Very well," Washu said, her face becoming downcast. "I wish I was a part of my son's life as he grew up, but fortunately he had a loving, caring stepmother who brought him up as I would have. I still feel depressed when I think about it, even though we've been reunited. My son also has a girlfriend, who I think he plans to marry. He's already grown up, and it just kills me to know that I wasn't a part of the majority of his life."

"Be happy that you can be there for him now. Live for the present, not the past," Nobuyuki said, gently patting her on the shoulder.

Washu looked up at him, her face full of awe and admiration. "For someone who has lived on a backwater planet for the entirety of his life, you sure are a smart man," she said, now smiling. "Thank you, Nobuyuki. I feel a little better now."

"You're welcome. It still hurts me that Tenchi's mother was not a part of his upbringing. I've done the best I could, but sometimes I wonder if I could've done better," Nobuyuki said, looking into his ice cream while keeping his mind on not tripping over something. "It was very difficult to have him brought up without a motherly impression left on him, and I was very afraid that he'd be too shy around girls, but I must've made a correct turn somewhere along the line, because Tenchi is getting married."

Washu nodded. "It must be the porn," she said, catching Nobuyuki's bewildered expression. "Just kidding."

Shaking his head, he grinned. "None of those girls that I've looked at in my mountains of magazines could hold a candle to Achika. I miss her deeply. It was so incredible to see her once again at Christmas. I still can't get over that Russ was able to do what he did for us, and he's given me a debt that I could never hope or dream of repaying. The least I can do is allow him to stay at our house."

"You don't owe him anything," Washu said, keeping pace with Nobuyuki. "He did it because he knew it would make you and everybody else happy. He's a very giving person, and I admire that about him. I know I'm selfish at times, but I don't think I could ever match the level of generosity that Russ has shown. I'm almost envious of him because of that. He reunited me with my son, which is something I had finally labeled impossible. I went over data records with a fine-toothed comb and I still couldn't solve the mystery. But somehow, he did, and he won't tell me how he did it either, the little weasel. I feel like I owe him a mountain of gratitude that I could never repay, but I'll do anything for that man now."

"He has had that effect on us all, hasn't he?"

Washu nodded. "Yes. I've been so worried about him that I haven't slept for more than four hours in the last week. I'm so tired right now that I could pass out. While you guys were watching the movie, I dozed off several times, catching up on a little sleep. Not because the movie was boring or anything, but I just had to take my mind off of him for a while."

Now it was Nobuyuki's turn to nod. "Yes. I could feel a drastic change in everybody the day after the fight. Even though everybody tried to go about his or her normal business, it was obvious that everyone's mind was elsewhere."

"Aeka hadn't left Russ's side the entire time, poor girl. She's so hopelessly in love with him, but Russ continually tries to turn her away. But I've had a feeling for a while now that his heart really wasn't in it, and he really did want to be with her. Aeka melted that ice cage that imprisoned his heart and his feelings, and made them surface once again."

"Look at her now," Nobuyuki said, looking across the field at the family. "She's smiling, but I can tell that she's only doing it for us. Her mind is back home."

Washu became unusually silent for a moment. "Don't tell anybody else this, but I have a funny feeling about Russ. I know that Aeka was able to reach him, but after Zorpheus killed her, Russ went flat out insane. I don't know what frame of mind he's going to be in once he wakes up, but to be honest, I think he's going to seal his heart again, and this time for good. I think he might blame himself for everything that had happened."

Looking worried, Nobuyuki ate another spoonful of ice cream, getting some hot fudge on his spoon. Taking a moment to swallow it, he glanced nervously at Washu. "That would just break Aeka's heart. Do you really think so?"

Shrugging her shoulders, she shook her head. "I'm not entirely sure, but I've been around for over twenty thousand years, so I've had a lot of time to study the behavior of people. I've seen some situations go one way, and I've seen them go the other way. But each and every person is different. Some take it to the extreme, but some don't even seem to care. Predicting emotions of people is very difficult. It is more possible to predict the actions of a person, as that is how wars are won, but dealing with emotions is something on a level by itself. Even I can't do it at a reasonable percent."

"But you think Russ might close off his heart forever?"

Closing her eyes, she nodded. "Yes. I do. Whatever you do, do not tell Aeka I said it."

"I won't."

"Good. Keep quiet about it now, as they are probably able to hear us by now," Washu said, about thirty paces away from the jabbering family.

Sasami had already finished her dessert, as had Zorpheus. The cardboard tub sat in front of him, scraped clean of every trace of chocolate ice cream that was inside. He had a ring of chocolate around his mouth, and he grinned.

"Pig," Washu sneered, sitting down next to him.

Letting out a belch that shook the bench Washu sat on, he let out a deep breath. "And proud of it," he said, snickering.

"Oh yes, that's REAL attractive," Ryoko said, glaring at him.

"Like you've never done it," Zorpheus shot back, narrowing his eyes to slits. "I'm sure Russ and Tenchi have done it too."

"Oh man, not again," Tenchi muttered under his breath. "Don't you two do anything but fight? You're worse than the old rivalry between you and Aeka!" he said, looking at Ryoko.

Frowning, Ryoko thrust a finger in Zorpheus's direction. "Well HE started it by being so rude!"

Zorpheus stuck out his tongue at her, pulled down an eye with his index finger, and gave her a raspberry. "If you didn't say anything, we wouldn't have started arguing!"

"Oh, both of you shut up," Aeka growled, glaring at the both of them. "I'm not interested in hearing such childish bickering."

"Well excuuuuuuuuuse me," both Ryoko and Zorpheus said at the same time, causing Aeka to recoil in surprise. She frowned a moment later and turned her nose up at the both of them.

Sasami giggled at her sister, but kept quiet.

"Well, once we finish this, what shall we do next?" Tenchi said, using a napkin to clean the ice cream off of his face.

"It's almost seven thirty. Kiyone and Mihoshi will both be home a little after eight," Aeka said, looking skyward. "We should head home."

"They can fend for themselves," Zorpheus said, looking across the table at her.

Glaring at him, Aeka shook her head. "I want to go home now."

Everybody at the table became quiet and withdrawn, as they looked at the empty containers in front of them.

"If you want to go home, we'll go," Tenchi said, standing up. "I know you're worried about Russ, so we'll go home."

Aeka breathed a sigh of relief. "Thank you, Tenchi."

Nobuyuki stood up and tossed his container in a nearby trashcan. "Let's go."

Everybody else followed suit, and after disposing of their garbage, they all jumped into the van to head back to the house.

Scribbling on a piece of paper and then tossing the pencil aside after finishing, Russ breathed a sigh of despair, disappointment, and unhappiness.

"I'm sorry, everybody, for ruining your lives and failing to do what I said I was going to do," he said to himself, looking at the cassette tape and the letter that he arranged on the table. "By the time you read this, I should be long gone, never to return. I will never ruin another person's life if it is the last thing I do. I shouldn't even be alive right now. I don't know how they saved me, but I didn't deserve it. I didn't deserve any kindness they gave to me after Aeka died, and I'll be damned if I'll set them up for another disappointment or heartbreak. I'll never forget the look on their faces as they saw Aeka fall, covered in her own blood, because I failed to stop Zorpheus from killing her. I said I'd protect her, and I failed. I said I'd defeat Zorpheus, and I probably failed. I failed in so many ways…" he said, hesitating. Shaking his head to clear the cobwebs, he continued, his voice wavering slightly. "I'm sorry, Aeka, but I don't deserve someone like you. I never did, and I never will. I hope you find happiness with someone else, because I'm not worthy of being your number one."

Turning toward the clock, it read seven forty five. Quickly ascending the stairs, he went into his room, and stopped. Standing there in the middle of the floor, he could feel himself losing his self-control, as a tear squeezed its way out of the corner of his eye. Quickly brushing it away, he shook his head, slapped his temples with his hands, and made his way over to the desk and packed up his stereo system. Afterward, he grabbed his duffel bag and packed it with all of his underclothes and the Earth garments that he had brought with him originally, and he managed to stuff his desk fan into the bag too. Leaving all the stuff that was bought for him in the closet, he closed the door, breathing a sigh of relief.

"I do not want to be reminded of his folly, ever again. I will never love, and I will never date. I'm nothing but a loser, a disappointment, and a failure. I totally screwed up. I completely screwed up. I felt that rage once again as I saw Aeka fall, and I swore up and down that I never wanted to feel that again, but I did because I allowed myself to open my heart again. But I'll never do it anymore. Never. I've disappointed two people now. Three, if I included myself."

Lifting his stereo and slinging his duffel bag over his shoulder, he slid open the door, turned around to look at his room one last time, and allowed the door to shut, almost as if he were shutting himself off from his life at the Masaki home.

After descending the stairs once again, he stopped in the living room, taking one final look around the home that he had lived in for the past year, and smiled.

"Thank you, everybody, for everything," he said, opening the glass door and stepping outside. Listening it to it click shut behind him, he let out another sigh, closed his eyes, tilted his head skyward, and took the final step off of the porch and onto the lawn. Fishing out the remote in his pocket, he hit the button, causing a black hole to open near the lake, ejecting his fighter from subspace.

Sighing to himself once again, he looked at his fighter, admiring the four laser cannons and dual ion cannons. Moving back toward the fighter, he looked at the signal strobes, and lastly checked the engine exhaust port.

"All seems in order," he said, listening to the birds chirping in the nearby forest. He could feel the breeze over his renewed skin and could feel it stir the spikes of hair on his head, and he felt like a brand new man. However, his mind was still messed up, and he knew it too.

Opening the hatch, listening to the hiss of the hydraulics, he climbed into his fighter, and then set his stereo and duffel bag down on the back seat. Seeing a ghostlike image of Sasami there for a moment, he blinked, and then shook his head. Sitting down in the pilot's seat, he closed the hatch and looked at the house one final time, feeling his insides squeeze from the turmoil of emotions coursing throughout his mind.

Closing his eyes one final time, resting his hand on the start switch, he argued with himself for a few more moments, convincing himself that he was doing the right thing. "Goodbye, everyone," he said, pressing the button and firing up the engines.

Pulling up in the driveway, Nobuyuki barely had time to turn off the van before Aeka opened the door and jumped out, running toward the house. Everybody else piled out of the van rather quickly as well, following Aeka to the side door.

"Hurry up and open it. I want to check on Russ," Aeka said, looking very determined. But she was also dancing from side to side, almost looking like she had to go to the bathroom.

"Hold your horses, Aeka. We'll all go check on him, okay?" Tenchi said, looking worried.

Nobuyuki put his key into the lock and pushed the door open, but Aeka cut him off and raced inside the house, heading straight for Washu's lab.

"Aeka! Quit being so rude!" Sasami yelled after her, following Nobuyuki inside.

Stopping, she turned around and looked at the many glares directed at her, and she hung her head. "I'm sorry, but I'm very anxious to see Russ again. Please forgive me."

"Just take it easy, alright?" Ryoko said, approaching her. "Lets go see him together."

Sasami walked past the two girls and made her way into the living room, noting that the blinds toward the lake were closed, but in such a way that was still allowing light to enter. "That's odd."

"What's odd, Sasami?" Washu said, approaching her from behind.

"I didn't close those blinds. And what's this?" she said, noticing two pieces of paper on the table, along with a cassette tape. Reading the first line of the letter, she let out an ear-piercing scream.

Everybody came crashing into the living room, wondering what caused her to yell. "What's wrong?!" they chorused.

"This letter is from Russ!" she said, her hands shaking. "He left us! HE'S GONE!"

"WHAT?!" Aeka yelled, snatching the letter out of her sister's hands. "This has got to be a sick joke or something." Taking a look at it for a moment, her face became more and more contorted into a look of utter shock, surprise, and horror, as she read further and further into the letter. "No."

Ryoko snatched it out of Aeka's hands and began to read it out loud. "To the family that has cared for me for so long," she began, reading it word for word. "Hi. I'm happy to say that I've fully recovered, and I'm perfectly fine. I must've woken up while you guys were out, but it's no big deal. I'm sure I'm the last guy you guys want to see. I know this is probably not going to be disappointing to you, but I've decided to leave. I'm not worthy of staying with you any longer. All I've done is turn your lives into a living hell, and I don't know what to do or say to you to make it up. So therefore, I've decided to leave, and never disappoint another person again as long as I live. I apologize and I'm sorry for everything that has happened, as I'm sure you all must be very disappointed with me. I failed as a warrior. I failed as a protector. And I failed as a lover. Twice."

"My god, how can he feel that way about himself?" Tenchi said, his eyes wide.

"Hah. Like clockwork," Zorpheus muttered, his arms folded over his chest, glaring at the letter.

"What?" Aeka said, running up to him. "What did you know?"

Zorpheus closed his eyes for a moment, trying to choose the right words. "He blames himself for everything that has happened. He believes that everything that went wrong was his fault, and not the fault of another. He is a man who will not lay blame with anybody else, but will take the burden on alone. He'd blame himself for the sky being blue if he felt he had any part in it. He feels that Aeka's death was his fault and not mine."

"That's not fair!" Aeka yelled, panic set firmly within her voice.

"Quiet! There's more," Ryoko said, beginning to read the letter again. "I've decided to pack my bags and leave. If one of you gets this letter before Aeka does, please do not let her see it. She probably hates me from the pit of her stomach because I failed to do what I said I'd do, and I regret putting her through so much heartbreak. Please tell Aeka that I'm sorry. I'll never see any of you again, only because I feel that it is better this way. Please do not try to find or follow me. I do not want to live with the thought that I failed someone else. I will never love again, because I'm nothing but a failure and a loser. I think I'm becoming professional at being a failure, since my track record is now zero and two. But I'll be perfectly honest. I loved Aeka, more than anybody else that has ever existed, and even more than Laurie. I did a song, dedicated just to her, and you'll be able to listen to it on the cassette tape I made of the song. It's called, 'Damn, I Wish I was Your Lover,' by Sophie B. Hawkins. The lyrics are sung in English, but because not many of you know that language, I put the lyrics on the back of this letter. Listen to it if you wish, but I wanted more than anything to be with Aeka, but it's not meant to be."

Aeka's face was awestruck, as the tears flowed freely out of the corners of her eyes. "I love you too, Russ," she cried. "Why did you leave!?"

Ryoko continued to read as Tenchi held Aeka in his firm grasp, trying to calm her down. Everybody else just stood by quietly, their jaws hanging open, as they could scarcely believe that Russ felt that way about himself. Sasami was the worst out of the group, crying uncontrollably.

"I've left you a small token of my gratitude," Ryoko said, continuing to read. "I know it isn't much, but I hope it will help you out some."

Sasami looked at the paper and found that it was actually a check, made out to Nobuyuki. She brushed the tears out of her widening eyes, and she almost couldn't believe what was written on it. "I don't believe it. He wrote a check worth fifty million yen! That's almost four hundred forty thousand American dollars!"

"I don't care!" Aeka yelled, shaking her head viciously. "I don't care about money! I WANT RUSS BACK!"

"Hey, do you hear that?" Zorpheus said, looking toward the lake. "That sounds like a Tie Fighter."

Quickly making their way to the door, Zorpheus slid it open and looked toward the lake, seeing the Tie Defender lift off of its landing struts, pitch upward, and shoot off into the sky.

"Where did he get THAT?!" Zorpheus yelled, watching the fighter speed away.

Running past him and leaping into the air, Aeka began flying at top speed, trying to catch up with Russ, but she already knew she was going to be too slow.

"Ryo-Ohki!" Ryoko yelled, grabbing the cabbit. "Get us up there, NOW!"

Hurtling through the air from the force of Ryoko's throw, Ryo-Ohki transformed herself into her crystalline spaceship and quickly transported everyone onboard.

"Hurry up, Ryo-Ohki! Catch up to Aeka and bring her onboard! We have to catch up to Russ before he leaves the solar system!" Washu commanded, feeling the ship lurch forward, zipping skyward.

"What will happen if he leaves the solar system?" Sasami cried, still horribly surprised and shocked. She never expected this in a million years.

"He'll probably enter hyperspace, and we'll have no chance of catching up to him," Washu explained, looking very determined. "Hurry, Ryo-Ohki!"

The ship meowed loudly as she poured all of her energy into flying. Quickly catching up to Aeka, she beamed the princess aboard.

"This ship is WEIRD," Zorpheus muttered under his breath.

Aeka was breathing heavily, the tears were still flowing, and her face was filled with despair. "We have to catch up to him!"

"We will, Aeka," Zorpheus said, looking out of the viewscreen, seeing the blue light from the Tie Defender's exhaust port. "He's right there, and we'll catch him."

"Can't you teleport yourself inside?" Ryoko asked, looking at him. "You have the same abilities as Russ, don't you?"

Zorpheus shook his head. "I can't do it in a space as small as that. I need to do it in something bigger."

"Open the communications channel," Ryoko said, watching the blue atmosphere of Earth fade to the black of space. "Russ! I know you can hear me," she yelled. "Come on! Answer me!"

Nothing happened, but Russ's fighter seemed to speed up a little, and they weren't gaining any ground on him.

"Come on! Talk to us!" she yelled, pushing Ryo-Ohki to her limit. "GOD DAMMIT, GET YOUR ASS BACK HERE!"

"This is Kiyone," came a response. A visual of the interior of the Yagami flickered onto a display that formed in mid-air. "What's the problem?"

"Russ is running away!" Aeka yelled, pointing at the fighter. "We have to stop him!"

"He's awake?!" Kiyone said, shock on her face. "Where are you now?"

"We've just left the Earth's atmosphere and we're right behind him. Hurry up, because we can't catch up to him!" Washu directed.

"Do you ladies need some extra assistance?" came a second reply, as they watched a visual of Tom appear on a screen next to Kiyone. "Russ is finally awake?"

"Yes, but he's trying to run away. Can you help us?" Ryoko begged, looking desperate.

"Will do," he said, disappearing. After a moment, a large chunk of space to the right seemed to bend and fold in on itself ahead of the chase, and the Star Destroyer appeared in the rift. It began to move to intercept Russ's fighter, but he saw it coming. Veering off in another direction, Russ tried to avoid him.

A few seconds later, hundreds of blue bolts of energy began lancing from the Star Destroyer's hull, lighting up the surrounding space and reflecting off of the Tie Defender's hull. None of the bolts hit, as Russ began using evasive action, dodging up, down, and all around. One bolt of blue energy slammed into the fighter, and was absorbed by the shields.

"Those shields are powerful," Washu commented. "They only dropped by like six percent, and he just shunted them back up to two hundred percent. He has his craft double shielded, so we're going to have to help lower them. Ryo-Ohki, aim your laser cannon at Russ and fire."

"DON'T YOU DARE!" Aeka shouted, looking completely horrorstruck. "How can you even think about shooting at him!?"

"Aeka, we have to help Tom lower Russ's shields, or the ion cannons won't work! They're trying to disable his fighter so they can board it."

"I can't believe any of this," Ryoko growled. "Do as she says, Ryo-Ohki. Aim the laser at him and blast at him until his shields are gone. It shouldn't take much."

Ryo-Ohki tilted herself until her bottom pointed at Russ, with orange energy glowing around her weapon. A second later, an orange beam burst out of the bottom of the spaceship, right on target. It hit the fighter directly in the back, but the shields absorbed the blast, doing no damage.

"What the hell?" Washu growled. "Ryo-Ohki only lowered them by fifty percent?! Make it more powerful! Those shields are stronger than you think, Ryo-Ohki!"

"I wish there was something I could do!" Tenchi growled, looking very upset, but determined.

"Incoming communication from Tom," Ryoko indicated, watching his image come up on the screen again.

"Hey, is Zorpheus there with you?" he asked.

"Yeah," he answered, stepping forward.

"Get over here. Your fighter is ready. Use it to help us disable Russ's fighter. I'll be joining you out there as well. Every fighter and transport that has an ion cannon onboard is being readied for combat, and we could use your help," Tom said, dressed in a flight suit.

"What fighter? I never asked for a fighter," he said. Putting two fingers to his forehead, Zorpheus vanished a moment later. On the monitor, Zorpheus appeared to Tom's left at the same instant he disappeared.

"Keep firing at him to help lower his shields," Tom requested. "We can use all the help we can get. That fighter has been heavily enhanced, and it is very, very maneuverable. We're trying to get in tractor beam range, but we have to be pretty close for that."

"We'll do our best," Ryoko said, watching Tom disappear. "Aeka? I'm going to re-open the communication frequency. Try talking to him. You might be able to turn him around."

Aeka, who was collapsed on the floor, crying almost uncontrollably, looked up at her friend, tears pouring from her amethyst eyes. "I'll try," she said.

The Yagami sped around the moon, heading straight at Russ and Ryo-Ohki, on a perfect intercept course. However, again, Russ's fighter turned abruptly, setting a new heading, trying to get away from the growing swarm of ships that were chasing him.

They had finally made their way out of Earth's gravity well, and were now making extremely fast headway toward the edge of the Solar System. It wasn't five minutes before they passed Mars, and were heading toward the asteroid belt.

"Russ… please stop this. Turn around and come back to us," Aeka said, trying to keep her voice steady, watching the fighter on the viewscreen. Bolts of blue energy continued to get very close to the fighter, but Russ was avoiding them all skillfully. Ryo-Ohki fired once again, but missed. "Come on, Russ. It's not your fault! It was never your fault. How can you think that of yourself? Please, come back to me and talk to me!"

She waited a few moments for a response, which never came.

"Here come the fighters," Tenchi said, noticing almost a dozen fighters and a half dozen transports launch from the hanger bay of the Star Destroyer. Assault Gunboats, Assault Transports, and two Escort Transports were all making their way toward Ryo-Ohki and Russ, as they were still a little distance behind them. The Star Destroyer itself continued to chase Russ as well, never ceasing with the ion cannon fire.

"I'm receiving a transmission from Russ!" Ryoko shouted, excited. "Audio only, though."

"Do not follow me, do not chase me, and do not shoot at me anymore. If you continue to do so, I WILL return fire. Get away from me and leave me alone," came Russ's voice. A moment later, the communication channel was cut off.

"RUSS!" Aeka shouted, but it was too late. He continued to make a beeline for the asteroid field.

"Damn him," Tenchi growled, flustered. "Keep shooting at him. Get his shields down if you can. Just do your best. We'll catch him."

The Yagami opened fire with its laser cannons, but all of the orange blasts that lanced forth from its guns missed, as Russ continued to dodge the onslaught of energy that poured forth from the many ships chasing him.

"You have to stop this, Russ!" Aeka cried, distressed. "Please stop this! I don't blame you for anything that went wrong and it isn't fair that you blame yourself! Please come back and talk to us!"

Finally reaching the edge of the asteroid field, Russ flew into it at maximum speed, now dodging the many asteroids that hurtled around him along with the incessant ion cannon fire from the vessels behind him.

"I'll follow you to the end of the universe and beyond, Russ. I love you too much just to let you go," Aeka cried, collapsing to the floor once again.

"We're going in after him," came Tom's voice over the communication system. A visual of him appeared on the screen once again, but this time he was inside of a gunboat. "Everybody, stay on your toes, keep your shields as high as they'll go, and be careful. The Gray Wolf will continue pursuit as well."

The gunboats, now ahead of the Yagami and Ryo-Ohki, followed Russ into the asteroid field, now opening fire with their own ion cannons. The transports were right behind them, and they too began pouring additional blue ion cannon fire toward Russ, but nobody was having much luck hitting him. Each time they did, he'd dump his laser energy into his shields, keeping them at near maximum.

Aeka started crying again. "STOP IT! You're going to kill yourself!" Aeka yelled, trying to reach Russ. "Please!"

Several of the gunboats had finally gotten close enough to Russ to actually start hitting him, but still, their hits were very sporadic. Russ continued to dodge all the blue bolts of energy, and he started using the asteroids themselves as cover. Flying directly toward one, green plasma fired from his four laser cannons, slamming into the asteroid, breaking it apart and causing shards of it go to everywhere. Flying along the outer edge of the cloud, he forced the pursuing gunboats behind him to lose some ground.

The Gray Wolf plowed into the asteroid field, now firing at everything near it with green plasma, vaporizing the smaller asteroids and blowing apart the larger ones. Several chunks of the devastated meteors slammed into the shields of the capital ship, but doing no damage.

Out of nowhere, Russ's fighter turned around, heading straight at two of the gunboats. "I've had enough," came his voice once again, as blue ion fire erupted from his top mounted cannons, slamming into the shields of one of the gunboats. It broke off its attack, taking evasive action, but Russ got behind it and stuck to it like glue. Draining almost all of the stored energy that was in the ion cannons, and after nearly forty consecutive shots, he brought the shields down on the gunboat, disabling it. Its engines died, causing it to slowly drift in space. Immediately, Russ targeted the other one and began firing at it.

"Hurry up!" Tom yelled, nearly up to Russ now. "We have to get him now while he's distracted!"

Ryo-Ohki fired with her laser cannon again but missed, hitting a nearby asteroid, causing it to explode in a brilliant fireball. The shrapnel from it pelted the gunboat and Russ's fighter, but it didn't do any damage. Draining some of his shield energy back into his cannons, Russ opened fire, blasting the second gunboat with his ion cannons. It quickly turned around, heading back toward Tom and his group, hoping that Russ would follow him and get himself closer to the other pursing ships. One of the assault transports broke off from the main group, heading toward the stranded gunboat, continuing to fire at Russ with its turret mounted ion cannons.

Turning with the gunboat, Russ fired his ion cannons, hitting the ship nearly fifty times, but he finally brought down its shields, disabling it, causing it to drift in space. Immediately, he turned around again, making his way deeper into the asteroid field, using the asteroids themselves for cover as he recharged both his shields and cannons.

The Yagami continued pursuit as well, taking pot shots at Russ whenever an opportunity presented itself, but they were very unsuccessful at hitting his ship, as it was far too maneuverable and too small to get a clear shot at it.

"Kiyone, why don't we use that one weapon we used on the Jurai fleet that froze them in place?" Mihoshi suggested.

"There are too many other ships around, and if we did that, they'd be stuck too. Besides, he's too fast and those missiles are too slow," she explained, continuing to target and fire at the Tie Defender.

After a moment, Russ circled around one of the asteroids, heading directly at the Yagami. Within seconds, he was in range, and he opened fire with his ion cannons, pelting the patrol ship with blue energy.

"Kiiiiiiyoneeeeee!" Mihoshi wailed, feeling the ship lurch with each impact.

"Dammit! Our shields are gone!" Kiyone yelled, as she saw several more blue beams of energy slam directly into the hull. The lights onboard her ship began to flicker and die, her navigation system started to go haywire, and the engines began to die. It only lasted a few seconds, but after Russ made his flyby, they were dead in the water. The other ten gunboats were right behind him, continuing to fire at his fighter.

"Um, Kiyone?" Mihoshi said, looking nervously at her partner.

"Yes, Mihoshi. We're disabled, and dead in the water. I can't believe that those fighters are as powerful as they are," Kiyone said, slouching in her seat. "But it's no excuse!"

"What's no excuse? Kiyone, we fired on a ship without authorization! We're going to get in trouble for this!" Mihoshi cried, looking stressed out as they sat in the dark.

Kiyone's face went to surprise, and then to her usual stressed out look. "We'll worry about that when the time comes. Right now, we have to get our ship going again. The air in here won't last forever and it'll get very, very cold too."

Pointing at one of the ETRs, she stood up from her seat. "They're coming this way. I think they're going to help us," she said, watching it continue to use its turret-mounted cannons to shoot at Russ.

Pulling up alongside the Yagami, the transport latched its docking ring to the Yagami, pressurizing it. Surprisingly, the transport was about half the size of the patrol ship. Hearing a banging on the door, Kiyone and Mihoshi quickly ran down to the docking area, and slid open the door.

"Hi. We'll get you going in a few minutes," one of the technicians said, holding a toolkit. "Excuse me, please," he said, getting around Kiyone and heading into the ship, using a flashlight to see. A dozen other technicians and mechanics followed him, heading toward the engineering section of the ship.

"Wait! You don't know the systems!" Kiyone called after him.

"Don't worry! We know what to do!" one of the other techs called back.

"Maybe I should go with them," Mihoshi said, looking useless.

Kiyone turned toward her, a look of shock on her face. "If I did that, I'd deserve a Darwin Award," she growled, glaring at her partner.

"Oh wow! What's a Darwin Award?" Mihoshi asked, looking embarrassed, but very happy.

Shaking her head, Kiyone sighed. "Never mind. Lets just go back to the bridge. Hopefully they can get our ship going quickly so we can rejoin the fight. I hope everybody else is okay."

"Why is Russ trying to run away?" Mihoshi asked, looking at Kiyone as they made their way through the dark hallways, illuminated only by emergency lights.

Sighing quietly, Kiyone hung her head. "Knowing Russ, he's probably blaming himself for everything that went wrong during the fight between himself and Zorpheus, and he feels very disappointed in himself. He is far too caring and far too hard on himself to see it any other way."

"That's awful! But what can we do?" Mihoshi asked, looking nervous.

"About the only thing we can do is stop him from leaving. It's up to Aeka to make him see everything in a different light. I just hope she can. She deserves him more than anybody else in this universe, and I'll do anything to help her get him."

Looking at her partner with awe and admiration, she giggled. "I didn't know you cared so much about Princess Aeka," she said.

Letting her face turn a little red, she smiled. "She's been a part of our family for years now, and I'd feel like a complete bitch if I didn't do something to help her. Heh. A lot of good we're doing right now," she muttered, glaring at her ship. "The Yagami did very well in getting us to Jurai to battle that fake Kagato, but it just got trounced by one measly fighter!"

Finally reaching the bridge again, they both sat down in their chairs, patiently waiting for the technicians to get the ship running again.

"Come on, people!" Tom yelled into the radio, encouraging his pilots. "Keep trying to get him! I know that fighter is powerful, but we can do it!"

Five gunboats were floating in space, disabled by Russ, and he was busily trying to disable a sixth. His shields were down to ninety-six percent, but he was doing a good job of keeping it there, raising it up a little with each transfer of laser energy to his shields.

Tom's own gunboat had about a hundred forty-five percent in shields, having taken a few pot shots by Russ as he hurtled around like a madman who was desperate for escape.

"Sir! The Gray Wolf's shields are down to one hundred, seventy three percent from asteroid impacts. Estimated time to shield failure is about an hour. It'll take at least six to recharge them to full strength," Larry said, his image coming up on a communication panel inside Tom's gunboat.

"That's okay. Do not stop pursuing Russ until he's disabled. That's an order. Shoot down any asteroid that gets too close to the ship," Tom ordered, watching Russ finally disable the sixth gunboat. All the transports were busily trying to repair the fighters that had already been disabled. "And send out additional transports with repair crews. Use the Escort Shuttles if you have to," he added.

"Yes sir!" he said, disappearing.

"Dammit Russ!" Tom yelled, banking his fighter toward Russ once again, getting his fighter in the targeting reticule. "I know you can hear me. Answer me, you ass!"

Waiting for a moment for a reply, Tom pulled his trigger again, nailing Russ twice with his ion cannons. The rest of the bolts of energy missed as Russ instantly pitched his fighter upward, staying on his seventh target. Checking his status readout of the fighter, he saw Russ's shields drop to seventy eight percent, but instantly they went back up to ninety.

Another orange beam lanced out from behind him, illuminating his cockpit interior orange, narrowly missing Russ once again. However, Russ turned his fighter toward the source, heading directly at Ryo-Ohki.

"Oh no you don't," Tom growled, squeezing his trigger once again, trying to hit Russ as he sailed by. However, all of his shots missed, since the Gunboat couldn't turn as quickly as the Tie Defender could. Tom watched as Russ opened fire, pelting the cabbit-ship with blue ion cannon fire. In a matter of seconds, their shields dropped, and the energy output of the ship dropped to near zero. "DAMMIT! Russ, you're REALLY pissing me off!"

A moment later, Russ's fighter circled Ryo-Ohki and headed straight for the half dozen Gunboats that were still trying to disable Russ. The Star Destroyer was nearby, continuing to surround him in ion cannon fire, but they were being unsuccessful in getting many hits.

"Come on!" Tom yelled, challenging Russ. "I'll kick your ass!" He squeezed his triggers again, causing blue bolts of energy to burn out of the gun ports over top of his cockpit, and he centered Russ's fighter in his reticule and kept it there. Russ also opened fire with his ion cannons, and they both blasted each other, lowering each other's shields to almost nothing, but Russ veered off, shunting up his shields once again. Tom did the same, but he didn't have the same amount of energy that Russ did, having two less cannons. Plus the power output of his shields wasn't as heavy as the ones on the Tie Defender.

Doing his best to keep Russ targeted and to keep him from getting him from behind, he continued to follow Russ, dodging asteroid debris at every turn. However, Russ's fighter was just too fast, and he found himself centered in Russ's guns again as he opened fire, finally dropping his shields to zero. The computer systems onboard began to shut down due to overload, and the power supply quit working, causing him to go adrift, disabled.

Sitting there in his darkened cockpit, he glared at the Tie Defender as it sailed over his cockpit, claiming victory. Slamming his fist down on his control panel, he ground his teeth. "Shit." Fortunately, the radio continued to work, as he took precautionary measures just in case of emergencies like this one. "Someone come and get me," he mumbled.

"I'LL save you!" Zorpheus yelled in his best cheesy superhero voice, as his brand new fighter flew over top of Tom, heading directly at Russ. It had the cockpit of a Y-Wing, but had a set of wings like a stealth fighter. "Hey Tom, having fun over there?"

"Oh Yeah, I'm having a party," he growled, with his arms folded over his chest. "Get him for me, would ya?"

"It shouldn't be too difficult in this thing," he responded. "How'd you know that the Toscan fighter was my favorite?"

"Russ told me a while ago. I decided to give each of you your own customized fighter. The Tie Defender was pretty easy to build, but your fighter was a pain in the behind because of its odd shape. Either way, it's just as powerful as Russ's ship and just as maneuverable, so you two are on equal ground. You have two ion cannons and four rebel type lasers, and Russ has two ion cannons with four imperial type lasers. Whatever you do, don't get disabled," Tom added.

"I'll get Russ. No problem," he answered, targeting Russ and firing.

"Who is that?" Ryoko asked, noticing the new fighter.

"That's Zorpheus," Washu replied, listening to the radio traffic.

"Do you think he'll be able to stop Russ? Right now, he seems pretty invincible," Tenchi muttered, sitting in one of the plush chairs in the dark. "Here comes one of the Assault Transports that finished with that gunboat over there. I hope they can help us."

"Assault Transport Gamma to crystalline ship. Do you require any assistance?" the pilot asked.

Ryoko sighed. "Just pull us over to the Star Destroyer. Ryo-Ohki is just out of energy. She'll recharge on her own," she responded.

"Roger that," he said, stopping his advance, turning around, and locking his tractor beam on the ship. Everybody felt the lurch of the beam taking hold and could feel the inertia of the ship moving. "We'll be there in a few minutes."

Continuing to watch the furball unfold, seeing the asteroids continually change the battlefield, Sasami started looking more and more desperate. "I don't understand why he wants to run away!"

Aeka grabbed her sister and held her tightly, trying to keep from crying. "I don't know either, but once we catch him, we can ask him."

"Wait! Look!" Tenchi shouted, pointing at Russ.

Unfortunately for Russ, he had made an attack run on the Star Destroyer, pelting it with all the firepower his fighter had, but he got too close to it and was now caught in several tractor beams, holding him steady. The other gunboats and Zorpheus surrounded Russ, ready to take him in.

"They caught him! I don't believe it!" Aeka yelled, leaping right out of her seat, nearly throwing Sasami onto the floor. "They finally caught him!"

"We're receiving another transmission from Russ," Ryoko indicated, looking at the radio.

"Release my ship now," he said, his voice low, toneless, and dead. "If you do not, I will engage my hyperdrive and destroy this fighter, and myself."

Dead silence.

After nearly a minute to comprehend what he just threatened to do to himself, everybody onboard Ryo-Ohki turned as pale and as white as a ghost.

"He wouldn't," Aeka said, her eyes wide.

Washu's eyes narrowed to slits, judging him by the sound of his voice. "I'm afraid he would, in his current state of mind. I know the stress over what had happened has affected him, but I never thought that he'd go this far."

"Aeka," Ryoko said, looking defeated. "Talk to him."

"Everything that I've said, he's ignored," she returned, looking like a shell of her former self. "What can I say that will make him change his mind?"

"Anything. Just talk to him," Tenchi agreed.

"Please, Aeka?" Sasami chimed in, begging her sister.

"You're the only one who can," Washu added.

Looking at each of them in turn, her cheeks still wet with tears, she sniffled, stood tall, and approached the pilot's chair. Ryoko stood up, allowing her to sit down.

"Russ? Are you there?" she asked, looking out of the viewscreen at his trapped fighter. "Please answer me."

Nothing.

"If you don't want to talk, that's fine, you can just listen," she began. "I don't know… no…" she said, closing her eyes, trying to find the right words. "I still don't understand why you're trying to get away from us, but you must have a really good reason, and I've been trying to figure it out again and again, but I can't. I wish you'd talk to us and let us know about your problems. We've used you so many times to talk to you about what has been troubling us, but you won't let us know about your problems. You never did. You've worked so hard to make us happy and carefree without giving a care to yourself, but it's obvious that you have problems of your own to work out. Why won't you talk to us?"

Dead silence.

Watching his ship grow larger in the viewer as they got closer, she shook her head. "I wish you'd open yourself up to us. Are you afraid to do it? Is that it?" she questioned, thinking she might've solved it for a moment. "Russ, there is nothing to be afraid of or embarrassed about. We're here for you. We always have been. That's what friends, and family, are for. Since coming to live with us, you became a part of our family. We welcomed you with open arms and have cared for you. We never expected anything in return, but you gave back far more than we ever gave to you. We're here for you, Russ."

Again, nothing happened.

Taking a deep breath, she choked back her tears as she looked at his fighter, pinned down by three tractor beams and the other fighters that surrounded him. "I don't know how else to say it, so I'll just do it. I love you, Russ. I loved you soon after we met, I loved you during the entire time you lived with us, and I love you now, even after I died and you brought me back. Nobody is perfect, Russ. When we fall in love, we accept not only the good of someone, but the bad as well. Mistakes happen, and even if it was your fault, I would still love you, still stand by your side, and still hold onto you and never let you go. And I know you want the same. I could see it in your eyes for the longest time, and even though you said you didn't love me, even though you said you couldn't love me, and even though you refused me more times than I could count, I know you love me too. I stayed by your bedside ever since you collapsed. I refused to leave you then, and I refuse to leave you now."

Patiently waiting for a response, Aeka continued to watch his fighter, as the assault transport who was towing them stopped in front of Russ, so he could see their ship. However, she couldn't see inside, as the glass was tinted in such a way that it almost looked black.

"Will you please just talk to us? If you want, we can do it somewhere private, so you only have to talk to me. And Russ, there is something else that I'm afraid about too, and I haven't told anyone else yet," she said, glancing over shoulder, seeing the skeptical looks from her friends and her sister. "My parents are coming here, with a fleet of three hundred ships, not including their personal cruisers. They're coming here to take me back, and I don't want to go. I need your help to stop them, and you're the only one I know who can. You promised me that you'd help me, and I expect you to keep that promise."

Sasami, Tenchi, and Ryoko all looked at her, pity on all of their faces.

"Please, don't look at me like that," Aeka said, turning away. "I want to stay here, because this is my home, and I want to stay here with Russ, and with you guys."

Washu's eyes grew wider as she watched a display, giving readouts of Russ's fighter.

"Aeka!" she whispered. "His shields just dropped and his power output just dropped to less than half. I think he's giving up."

"Thank you, Russ. Please, just talk to me," she said, feeling Ryo-Ohki lurch forward again, being taken into the hanger bay by the surrounding tractor beams. They watched his fighter decrease in size as they were pulled away from him, and guided under the massive warship. Once again, the hanger bay became visible, flashing red, as the ship was still at red alert status. After passing through the forcefield, Ryo-Ohki meowed a couple of times, dumped everybody out of herself unceremoniously onto the floor, and transformed back into a cabbit, laying motionless in the middle of the landing deck. Sasami quickly ran over and scooped her up, cradling the poor creature in her arms.

Turning back toward the entrance, they could see Russ's fighter being towed into the ship by the invisible beams, and following close behind was Zorpheus, keeping his guns hot and ready to fire if Russ tried something stupid.

Passing through the forcefield, the energy crackling and snapping around his fighter, his landing gear extended, and they put him down some distance away, letting his fighter down with a soft rumble onto the steel hangar bay. Zorpheus took a spot behind him, extending his own landing gear, and setting his Toscan fighter down gently.

The other transports and fighters slowly filed into the bay, some landing on the floor, and others taking positions in rack mounted holders that hung from the ceiling. The Yagami could be seen taking a position just under the launch bay, and Kiyone and Mihoshi transported themselves onboard, joining the rest of the family.

Zorpheus jumped out of his fighter and landed on the floor, watching Tenchi, Ryoko, Aeka, Sasami, Kiyone, and Mihoshi run over to Russ's fighter, forming a semi-circle. Tom also hopped out of his gunboat, and he looked extremely pissed off. He stormed over to Russ fighter and slammed his fist on the hatch door several times.

"Get your ass out of that fighter, NOW!" he yelled. "How dare you fight against us!"

Hearing the hiss of the pressure being released from inside the fighter, the hatch door swung open, revealing Russ in his seat, looking straight ahead. However, he didn't look like himself at all. His face was completely expressionless and cold, and his eyes showed no emotion at all. Looking more like a robot than a human, he slowly got up and stepped out of his fighter, staring directly into Tom's eyes.

"You fired on me first, asshole," he said, his voice deep, but cold.

"You still don't get it, do you?" Tom growled back. "That woman over there would do anything for you, and you just think you can walk away from it all, don't you?" Thrusting his finger over to Aeka, he took a step closer to Russ, his nose now almost touching Russ's. "Think again."

"Back up, or I'll knock you for a loop. I'm not in the mood to be lectured by you, or anybody else," Russ returned, not quite looking into Tom's eyes. Glancing to his left, he saw Zorpheus standing there, his expression of complete shock and surprise. "So he IS still alive."

Narrowing his eyes and clenching his fist, Tom took several paces back, knowing full well that Russ would live up to any threat he made at the moment. Looking over at Aeka, Tom motioned for her to approach him.

"Russ?" she said, slowly making her way toward him, her face pale and streaked with tears. "Lets go somewhere private where we can talk, alone."

"Hold out your hand," Russ said, looking straight ahead.

Slowly raising her arm, she put her hand out in front of her, waiting to see what he'd do.

Gently taking her hand in his, Russ used his other hand and put two fingers to his forehead, and vanished from sight.

"Where'd he go?" Tenchi yelled, surprised.

Zorpheus stood by for a moment, trying to sense him. He could feel Russ's energy, but not very close. Concentrating for a few more moments, he smiled. "They're back on Earth, near the ol' homestead," he said at last.

"Lets hurry and get back there then. I really hope Russ doesn't do anything that he'll regret," Tenchi said, looking at Tom.

Zorpheus grinned. "Everybody, come over here," he said. "I'll get us back there instantly. But whatever you do, steer clear of them. It's already a very touchy subject and I want you guys to keep away from them. I'll deal with Russ if something goes wrong."

"Thank you," Tenchi said, walking over to him. "Lets go."

"Come on, everybody," Zorpheus said, noticing the nervousness from the group. Frowning, Zorpheus shook his head and motioned for them to come over. "I'm not going to leave you out in space or anything like that, now get over here and I'll take everybody back to Earth."

"We'll take our ship and put it into orbit," Kiyone said, edging away.

"Don't worry about that. We'll tow it back to Earth and use our cloak around it, so it can't be seen," Tom offered, looking distracted. "Damn that Russ. I really feel for him, but I don't know what to do to make him feel better!"

"I believe the only one who can make him see the light at this point is Aeka," Zorpheus said, looking over at Tom. "If only my mind didn't get a brainwash. I'm still trying to figure out who or what did that to me."

"Come on, everyone," Tenchi called, ready to go. "Let's go home."

Kiyone, Mihoshi, Washu, Tenchi, Ryo-Ohki, Sasami, and Ryoko all made their way over to Zorpheus, and grabbed onto his arms and hands.

"Here we go," Zorpheus said, closing his eyes. A moment later, everyone vanished from Tom's sight.

"Good luck, you guys. I hope Russ finds happiness with Aeka."

"Sir! Most of the gunboats that were disabled have been repaired. We're currently moving out of the asteroid belt and making headway back to Earth. We should be in standard orbit in fifteen minutes. Shields are recharging and there was no damage during the battle," the flight officer informed Tom.

"Good. It's a good thing that Russ made that attack run on the ship," Tom said, making his way over to one of the computer consoles. He keyed in a few commands and put himself on the intercom system. "To all hands, this is the captain. Excellent work, people. I commend you on a superb performance in catching Russ. However, we have another threat making their way here, so we're not out of the woods yet. Please make arrangements to spend extra time in the holodeck and flight simulators to brush up on your combat skills. The enemy isn't that powerful, but they're numerous. But again, excellent work in capturing Russ and bringing him in. Tom out."

"Thank you, captain," one of the pilots said, getting out of his gunboat. He hit the floor and saluted, then went into the corridor.

"What is this other threat?" the flight officer asked, looking curious.

"A Jurian military fleet is on its way here, and according to Aeka, there will be about three hundred ships along with the emperor's personal cruiser. We went up against a handful of them and easily pasted them, but this time, there will be far more to deal with. We need all the help we can get if we're going to succeed," Tom said, concerned.

"I will help you," came a voice from behind him.

Turning toward the voice, Tom smiled. "I appreciate the offer. But you don't have to help and put yourself at risk."

"Ken-Ohki and myself have been in battle with the Jurians before. We don't have a problem helping out the princess and Russ. I have too much respect for the two of them to just let it go," she said.

"Thank you. I'll have some additional reinforcements come here from my home as well, so we should be well prepared to face the Jurian fleet."

Nagi grinned, an evil gleam sparkling off of her eye. "Indeed," she answered, turning around on her heel, letting her cape billow out behind her. Quietly walking out of the hanger bay, she glanced over her shoulder at Tom and smiled.

"Damn, what a woman," he said, glancing at the flight officer.

"Yes, sir," he replied, grinning.

Standing face to face, feeling the wind blow gently over their skin, both Russ and Aeka stood in Tenchi's training grounds, waiting for the other to make the first move. They looked into each other's eyes, trying read the other's emotions and feelings, but they both remained silent for what seemed like hours. Aeka looked visibly upset and worried, but Russ was cold, hard, and emotionless, almost as if he were trying to be a Vulcan.

"I'm sorry," they both said at the same time, drawing a look of moderate surprise from the princess, but nothing from Russ.

Taking a step closer, Aeka started to reach out to touch him, but she hesitated, and after a moment, withdrew her hand. "Why?" she finally asked.

"You know why."

"No I don't," she responded, shaking her head. "Why did you leave us? Why did you try to run away, and why did you fight against us?"

"I left because it was the right thing to do. I do not want to be reminded of my failure yet again, and I don't want that kind of grief in my life, ever, ever again," he responded, coldly. "It's my life, my choice, and my decision."

"Did you ever stop to think about how we would've felt?" Aeka asked, growing angry. "Are you really that selfish? Me this, and me that? Have you ever given consideration to another person?"

"Yes. Usually, that's all I ever do, without giving a single thought to myself," he returned, keeping his face, eyes, and voice blank. "When I finally do think of myself, it's selfish."

Aeka stopped, looking at him with hurt and emotional pain in her eyes. "Is this what you do? You make everybody like you, and in some cases, fall in love with you, and then you just up and leave?"

"You know why I'm leaving."

"NO I DON'T!" she yelled, clenching her fists, trying to fight back her tears. "I don't understand why you're trying to leave. Why don't you take a minute and explain it to me?"

"It's because I'm a failure," he answered, still not showing any emotions. "I said I was going to protect you, your sister, and the family, and I failed. I got your hopes up, and I crushed them in the blink of an eye. Everything that has happened has been my fault, even back when Zorpheus and I split up. If I had stuck with him and talked him out of that stupid obsession, then none of this would've happened. I would've never came back home, met you, and then ruined all of your lives."

"Stop it, Russ," Aeka said, shaking her head.

"I failed twice now," he continued, ignoring her interruption. "I failed with Laurie, and I failed with you. But I swear that I will never fail again, because I will never love again. I swear it by every god that is in existence, from holy heaven down to the burning hells."

"You're not making any sense at all," Aeka returned, trying to frown. "Why do you think you failed? Am I not standing here at this moment? Are you here with me too?"

Russ shook his head. "Zorpheus killed you, and I gave you my entire life force to bring you back. But the point is, you were harmed, and I swore that nobody would come to any harm because of my actions. And it happened again. I never wanted to feel that pain and anguish again, and it happened."

"You still don't understand that I wanted to be there with you, and I wanted to put myself in harms way. That was my choice, and mine alone. You had nothing to do with it."

"That's what makes it worse," he countered, looking her in the eyes. "You were very foolish to do that, after I told you what would happen."

"If I didn't do it, you would've died," Aeka argued back.

"Then I should've died. At least you would've come to no harm."

"Not in the physical sense," Aeka retorted, narrowing her eyes. "Do you have any idea how it felt to watch Zorpheus hit you again and again? It was tearing me apart to just stand there and do nothing. I HAD to do something."

Several moments of silence passed between them, as Russ looked over to his right, looking down across the valley below. He could still feel the breeze and hear the wind through the leaves, but it wasn't calming him down at the very least.

"Aeka, I'm sorry. I'm sorry I got your hopes up and I'm sorry things did not go the way I planned it. I'm sorry I never said a proper goodbye, but I've never been good at them. So I will do it now," he said, turning toward her once again.

"I will not hear it," she said, turning away from him.

Russ's breath caught in his throat for a moment, until he let it out in a soft sigh. "I can never apologize enough for what happened, and by all rights, I should be dead."

"Zorpheus saved you," Aeka said, her back to him still.

"I kind of thought so. And I'm surprised he's still alive as well. I have no idea how it happened, but it must've been something miraculous. It just goes to show how inadequate I am."

Aeka spun around, letting her right hand go straight across Russ's face. The sound of the slap echoed around the trees, causing several birds to fly away. Her hand left a red mark on his cheek. A moment later, Aeka started crying once again, angry because of Russ and angry over how he blamed himself for everything that had gone wrong.

"You are NOT a failure! You've done so much for us that I couldn't even begin to even THINK of you as a failure. I love you, Russ, and nobody else. And I want you to be mine, forever. I don't care about anything, except you."

Russ stood there for a few moments, his black eyes glossing over as they filled with their own tears. He clenched his fists at his sides and took in a deep breath, letting it out slowly. Choosing his words carefully, he told them to Aeka.

"I'm sorry, but I do not deserve your love, and you deserve someone better than me," he said, causing her expression to go to complete bewilderment. "Please forgive this failure of a man. Goodbye, Aeka. I hope you find happiness with someone else." Turning away from her, he began to walk away, leaving Aeka to cry, all alone.

Out of nowhere, Russ started hurtling to the side and crashed into a boulder, shattering it into a million pieces, then sailed into the mountainside where he impacted, making a small crater. Aeka blinked, because now standing in Russ's place was Zorpheus, with his fist outstretched. He glanced over at her, nodded his head, and grinned.

"You tried. Now it's my turn. Sometimes, you just have to show him a little Saiyan love."

Aeka was just about to object when Zorpheus disappeared. A moment later, Russ was sent flying through the air, with Zorpheus right behind him. She watched him grab hold of Russ, swing him around, and throw him back toward the princess, where he impacted into the ground once again.

"How dare you do this to a woman, you asshole," Zorpheus snarled, grabbing Russ's gi in his hands, hauling the saiyan to his feet. "What do you have to say for yourself?"

Russ looked to be in another world, as his head just looked off to the side, his face expressionless. He didn't even try to put up any resistance.

"What the hell are you so afraid of?!" Zorpheus yelled, putting his face directly in front of Russ's.

"I'm… I'm not afraid," Russ answered, his body very limp.

"QUIT SHOVELING BULLSHIT! Now I asked you a question! What are you so afraid of?!" Zorpheus yelled, shaking Russ like a rag doll.

"I'm…" he said, hesitating. "I don't know."

"Like Hell you don't. You're the only one who does," Zorpheus said, throwing Russ back to the ground. "Spit it out and tell us what it is."

Aeka stood by quietly, watching Russ, still very upset and concerned. She began to wonder if he'd ever open himself up to anybody. He was worse than Fort Knox.

Slowly pulling himself to his feet, not bothering to brush the dirt off of his clothes, he wiped his mouth, revealing a trace of crimson on the back of his hand from a cut on his lip. Closing his eyes, he shook his head and stood there, not knowing what to do.

Zorpheus was quickly losing his patience though. "Well? What's it going to be? Are you going to tell us or should I play hardball with you until you're ready to spill it? I'm so tired of watching you capture the hearts of so many people, and brushing them aside as if their feelings don't matter. You've lived with Aeka for what… an entire year? And you just want to walk away, especially after she's become obsessed with you? Hah! You're not being fair to her OR yourself, and you know it," Zorpheus growled, glaring hard at Russ. "I'm so sick of hearing, 'I'm not worthy of anybody since I failed with Laurie,' he said, holding his nose and sounding incredibly sarcastic. "If that is your only reason, stick it up your ass and DEAL with it, dammit! She loves you, and I can SEE you like her too, so what the hell is the problem?!"

"I guess… I think I'm afraid of failing her too. I've already caused her so much pain and suffering, and I don't want to do it anymore. I just want to leave here and go somewhere else. Somewhere far away, and somewhere where I can be alone," Russ answered, softly, hanging his head.

"You're causing her grief BY leaving, you dimwit. What is it going to take to make you see that? She doesn't CARE that she got hurt. She did it because she loves you and wants to be with you. She will stand by your side no matter WHAT happens. I've never, in my entire life, seen someone as devoted as she is. It makes me want to PUKE that you want to leave her, all because she got hurt. BIG FRICKIN DEAL! She's alive and well, and so are you," Zorpheus yelled, flustered. "Look at her, dammit!" Reaching over to Russ, he grabbed his head and turned it toward the princess, who looked so pitiful and depressed that it crushed Russ's heart even further, and made him want to reach out to her and hold her in his arms, to comfort her. "Does she look like someone who wants someone else? No! She has eyes only for you, and nobody else. Go to her, dammit, and hold her like you used to. She needs someone like you, and you two are a match made in heaven," he said, shoving Russ toward her.

Russ stumbled forward, but kept his balance. Stopping a couple of paces in front of Aeka, he raised his head, but couldn't look her in the eye. His shame and embarrassment were second to none, and he couldn't bear to have her look at him as he was. It was almost too much for his mind to handle.

Calming down, Aeka slowly made her way to Russ, and she stopped in front of him. Carefully reaching out with her hands, she gently rested her hands on his cheeks and tilted his head so she could look him in the eyes. After a moment, their eyes locked, and Russ nearly went to pieces at that point, as his body started shaking like a leaf in the wind.

"I love you, Russ," Aeka whispered, trying to keep from crying, but failing, as the tears dripped from the bottom of her chin. "I'll always love you."

"I'm… I'm sorry, Aeka," he said, starting to cry himself. "I'm so sorry."

Forcing a smile, Aeka held out her arms to him. "It's okay."

Slowly reaching out, he gently took Aeka in his arms and brought her to him, accepting her at last. He could feel her warmth and her trembling body, as he finally unlocked his heart and let out every bit of heartbreak, frustration, and self-doubt, letting it fade away into oblivion. It was as if a tremendous burden was lifted from his soul, and for the first time in over five years, he felt free and at true peace once again. Everything that had happened didn't seem to matter anymore as he stood there holding Aeka, finally shattering the barriers that hid his heart and allowing the hole that was there to be filled with her love and devotion. It was such a rush of emotion that Russ could barely stand there and keep himself under control, feeling her squeeze his body tightly, never letting go. It felt so good to hold her again, and because of it, the entire universe could dry up and die if it objected.

Zorpheus stood by quietly, his jaw hanging open, but he realized that Russ had finally found happiness in another woman. It made him feel good, almost as if he had a girlfriend of his own. He knew all the hardships that Russ had gone through, and it was such a radical change to see him standing there, holding a woman in his arms for the first time in so many years. And it was not just to comfort someone, but because he was in love with someone. Slowly backing away, being discrete as possible, he faded back into the forest, leaving both Russ and Aeka alone. He felt such a rush of relief and happiness for his friend that he almost didn't notice the blue hair on the other side of the tree. Looking further down, he could see Sasami, Nobuyuki, Kiyone, Mihoshi, Washu, Tenchi, and even Katsuhito eavesdropping. Every single one of them had a smile on their face that a grinder couldn't remove.

Quietly approaching Ryoko, he tapped her on the shoulder. "And just want do you think you're doing?" he said, grinning.

"Shhh," she said, glancing at him, but she quickly turned her attention back to Russ and Aeka. "I can't believe it. I never thought I'd see this day for Aeka, and I feel so happy for her that I just want to run over and congratulate her."

"I feel the same way for Russ. It's been so long since I've seen him hold a woman like that, and it makes me feel damn good to see him happy. He's going to be an entirely new person after this," Zorpheus whispered.

Spying silently on both Russ and Aeka for a few more moments, he saw them pull away from each other for a moment, looking into each other's eyes. They were both smiling, and they both looked to be overwhelmed with each other. Straining himself, Zorpheus tried to listen in to the two of them

"I can't believe this is real," Aeka said, feeling the breeze gently ruffle her clothes and her hair. "I've wanted this for so long."

"I know," he answered, holding Aeka's hands in his. "I'm so sorry that it has taken me this long to come around and realize what I've been missing. I've wasted so much time and energy running away, that I never gave myself a chance. Even before Laurie, I was very hard to get, but she was the only one who had the qualities I was looking for. But now, there is another."

Continuing to smile, letting her tears of happiness stream down her cheeks, she pulled herself toward Russ, feeling his arms wrap around her once again. She felt so safe in his arms that she felt invulnerable. But it felt even better to know that she was loved as a person. For a moment, she looked back on the past year and all the heartbreak that he had unintentionally put her through, and she asked herself if it was all worth it. Her answer came instantly, and it didn't even matter. She was standing with the man she loved, and it didn't matter what anyone else thought about it. For once in her life, she listened to her heart and herself, and not to what someone else had told her.

Gently pulling away from him once again, she gazed into his eyes, lovingly. "Russ?"

"Yes?" he replied, quietly, his voice deep and filled with emotion, and very gentle.

"You… never kissed anyone before, have you?" she whispered, smiling.

Appearing a little surprised, he shook his head. "Never."

"Me neither."

Still looking into each other's eyes, they both hesitated for a moment, feeling their hearts beating harder than they ever had before.

"Is your heart racing?" Aeka whispered, her voice barely audible.

Nodding his head ever so slightly, he continued to smile. "Yes."

"So is mine."

Feeling the breeze kick up once again, blowing each other's clothes and hair about, they both looked like they belonged in a painting, to be immortalized forever. For each of them, this was their first, true, consummated love. Once again they stepped forward, pulling toward one another, and holding the other tenderly. Slowly tilting their heads and bringing their faces toward one another, closing their eyes, their lips met for the very first time, gently, and seemingly lasting forever.

Zorpheus nearly fell over, his eyes bulging out of their sockets. "Oh HELL yeah," he whispered.

"It's so beautiful," Ryoko said, tears beginning to stream out of her eyes, as she watched both Russ and Aeka hold each other, their lips gently pressed together in a passionate embrace. It was the most awe inspiring, most beautiful thing she had ever witnessed.

Tenchi, Katsuhito and Nobuyuki looked about ready to fall over and die, but they looked utterly pleased with the outcome.

Mihoshi had started to bawl, but Kiyone clamped her hand over her mouth, keeping her silent. However, Kiyone didn't even look at her partner, as her gaze was locked on the couple that stood in the clearing, as the sun disappeared behind the mountain, causing the sky to change into gorgeous shades of orange, red, violet, and blue, as if the Earth itself approved of their coupling. She felt such a rush of happiness for Aeka, but a tinge of envy as well.

Trying to keep her delight silent, Sasami was smiling, trying to wipe the tears out of her eyes, as she felt an unparalleled happiness for her sister that she had never felt before, and it was overwhelming for the little princess. It was something that she wanted for her sister more than anything, and it finally came to fruition.

Washu had her hand over her mouth, but she too was crying tears of joy. Even after twenty thousand years she had, only once, felt an emotion like that spark within her, and it felt wondrous. It helped her realize that indeed, she was still human, and more so, a woman at heart.

Gently pulling away from each other, Russ and Aeka both reopened their eyes, gazing into each other's faces with nothing but devotion, love, and happiness.

Russ was breathing heavily, and he looked completely spent. "Wow," he whispered. "I think… no… we have to do that again."

Aeka giggled quietly, her head feeling like it was up in the clouds, where nothing else mattered. "That was wonderful, Russ."

"I think everybody else enjoyed that too," Russ whispered, drawing a look of confusion from the princess. Moving his eyes off to the trees, he allowed a grin to slip on his face.

A moment later, Aeka understood, and started laughing. "Shall we give them another one?" she whispered back, winking.

"Nah. We'll let them imagine it for the time being," he answered, turning completely toward the trees. Raising his hand, he waved it back and forth, signaling that he knew the group was there.

Watching the forest for a few moments, everybody slowly came out from behind their hiding places and made their way to the clearing, coming to congratulate the two on confessing their love for one another.

"To the victor, go the spoils, right, Russ?" Zorpheus said, slapping him on the back. "It's about time, you butthead."

Russ just grinned and blushed, but he was very happy that everybody around him approved. "Thank you… all of you for putting up with me, and stopping me from making a big mistake."

"It's okay, Russ. We'd do anything to see you and Aeka happy," Ryoko said, smiling. "It's the very least we could do."

Tenchi came up to Russ as well and started poking him in the side. "So how was it?" he said, putting on an amused smirk.

"How was… what?" Russ answered, looking confused, but playing dumb.

"You know…"

Giving Tenchi a blank look, he stood there, trying to keep himself from showing his amusement. Everybody else watched him curiously, waiting to see what he'd do. However Aeka knew what he was doing, and she too played along.

"Well, what about you, Aeka?" Tenchi asked, shaking his head.

"What about me?" she responded, looking confused.

Tenchi stopped and stared at the two of them as they stared back, and he began to wonder if they were being serious. "Your kiss! That was your first one, wasn't it?"

Russ and Aeka grinned and nodded their heads. "For the both of us," Russ answered. "It was very… breathtaking."

Latching onto his arm, Aeka leaned against him and smiled. "Very much so," she added.

"So this means you're going to stay with us?" Sasami asked, moving in front of Russ, looking happy and full of hope.

"Yes, Sasami. I will stay with you guys," he answered.

"Really?"

Now laughing, Russ rested his free hand on her shoulder, drawing her in for a hug. "Yes."

"Can I stay too?" Zorpheus asked, looking serious. "I was originally going to take my leave after Russ came out of his coma, but I've got nowhere else to go, and I'd like Washu to help me find out what happened to me. I think I'll find the answers to my questions here."

"Well, you DID help Russ and Aeka get together," Washu said, glaring at him. "But what makes you think that I'll help you?"

"Because you're Washu!" Zorpheus returned, grinning. "C'mon, it's another mystery for you to solve, and someone like you must find a solution for everything, right?"

"Not really," she answered, folding her arms over her chest.

Cocking his eyebrow curiously, he grinned even wider. "Oh yeah? What will I have to do to change your mind?"

Becoming thoughtful for a moment, a gleam reflected off of her emerald eyes as she focused on the saiyan. "I know how you can repay me for services rendered," she said, grabbing him by the arm and leading him away.

Zorpheus looked over his shoulder with one of the biggest, goofiest, and sinister grins he could pull off. He winked in the group's direction, and then followed Washu back to the house.

"We have to celebrate!" Sasami said, also running off toward the house. "I'll prepare us a huge feast, fit for a king!"

"It's getting dark too," Kiyone said, looking lost in thought for a moment. "But anyway, congratulations to the both of you. I know you two will be very happy together." Grabbing her partner by the arm, she began to lead her away.

Mihoshi was smiling, laughing, and waving as she was pushed further toward the house. "Don't do anything I wouldn't do, Russ!" she called. An instant later, she found herself in a headlock.

His face suddenly feeling like he set it on fire, Russ swallowed loudly, suddenly feeling very, very nervous and awkward. "Uh, right!" he finally called back.

Aeka started laughing again. "You're so cute when you're nervous or embarrassed," she giggled, holding onto Russ's arm. "But let's eat now. Sasami is going to make us something huge."

"I know. Man, what a day," he said, looking toward the clear sky, as the first star of the night poked its way through the atmosphere. Looking at it for a moment, watching it twinkle its everlasting light, he smiled, feeling that somehow everything was going to be okay.

Hearing the crickets chirp outside of the windows, signaling that it was getting late at night, Russ sat on the couch, watching an episode of Serial Experiments Lain. He was by himself at the moment, as Aeka had gotten up to go into the kitchen, looking for a midnight snack. Everybody else was around the house, doing various activities. Nobuyuki was upstairs, watching TV in his room. Tenchi and Ryoko were both in his room, also watching TV, cuddling with each other. Sasami was helping her sister in the kitchen, and Zorpheus was with Washu in her lab, as they began their investigation on Zorpheus's brainwashing. Kiyone and Mihoshi had gone back home a little while ago.

Watching a man commit suicide, spraying Lain with his blood, the man crumpled to the ground as one of Lain's friends tried to get her out of the dance hall. Shaking his head, Russ closed his eyes and let out a sigh. "I still don't get it."

"Still don't get what?" Aeka asked, coming out of the kitchen, holding a tray of Ritz crackers topped with cream cheese.

"This anime. I've seen it a couple of times, but it's nothing but one big brain bender. It's too abstract for my tastes, but it has some amazing visuals. It's just like the last two episodes of Neon Genesis Evangelion, but stretched out into thirteen episodes," he explained, frowning. "I don't mind it, but it isn't one of my favorites. I love ones that have at least a little comedy in it and Lain doesn't have any."

Sitting down next to him, Aeka set the tray down on the coffee table, and picked up one of the crackers. "I like things that bring a smile to my face, but I don't mind ones that make me think. Open wide," she said, waving the cracker in front of Russ's lips.

Grinning, he opened his mouth and allowed Aeka to slide the cracker in. Crunching nosily for a moment, he swallowed, feeling the coolness of the cream cheese and tasting the buttery little crackers. "Yum. But very fattening," he said, glancing at her.

"Who cares? Both of us exercise like no tomorrow, so we can afford to eat a little junk now and then," she said, eating a cracker. Sighing quietly to herself, she gazed longingly into Russ face. "I'm so happy that you decided to stay."

"That's the tenth time you've said that," Russ responded, looking ashamed. "And I'm still concerned over what's going to happen next. What about your parents? What about your stature? How will the people of your planet accept this? What about…" he said, but Aeka put a finger over his lips, shaking her head.

"None of that matters, Russ," she said, looking very confident. "We will make it work, no matter what it takes. I'm finally happy, and nothing else matters to me at the moment. If I must renounce my throne when my father gets here, then so be it."

Russ looked away from her, appearing to be lost in thought. "I still find it almost completely unreal that the crown princess of a planet that I've been to only once, wants to be with me for the rest of my life, and that she's willing to give up everything to be with me."

Laying her head against him, she took his arm in her hands, caressing it gently. "It's real. It's very real," she quietly responded, feeling his warmth, and his tension. "Just relax. Don't worry about it until the time comes. Just be here with me, as I want to be here with you."

Russ let out a contented murmur as he pulled his arm away from her, and then wrapped it around her, pulling her close. She scooted over a little, allowing him to cradle her. He was so warm and gentle, and it just made her at peace to be so close to him.

Feeling her snuggle against him, Russ let a contented smile back onto his visage, as he felt that now that this happened, anything was possible. The feelings that he felt couldn't be described in a dictionary or a textbook, and it couldn't be simply put into words. It was a feeling of love, and it was a feeling that he almost forgotten, and forced himself to never feel again. But as he felt her against him, safe, contented, and happy, he almost couldn't figure out why.

"Russ?"

Glancing down at her, he waited for her to respond.

"What was that song that you made, just before you left?" she asked.

"It… was an appropriate song," he answered, turning his attention to the organ. "Appropriate at the time, anyway."

"Would you play it for me? Please?" she asked.

"But, you look so comfortable," Russ objected, half joking.

"We can get comfortable again," she said. "Please play the song you did. I'd love to hear it."

Sighing quietly, he nodded his head. "If you want. I have to get the lyrics sheet for you, because you don't understand English," he said, getting up, releasing Aeka in the process. Quickly heading to the table, he picked up the letter, which hadn't moved since he came back. After handing it over to the princess, he made his way over to the organ and turned it on, taking a seat on the bench and recalling the song from the midi database he was developing.

"What was it called again?"

Russ turned toward her, just as he was about to begin playing. "It's called Damn, I wish I was Your Lover, and it was done by an artist named Sophie B. Hawkins. It's an older song, but it seemed to fit the feelings in my heart at the time. I slightly modified the lyrics to fit me, but it turned out rather well."

Aeka smiled, and nodded her head. "Please, play it for me."

"Yes, your highness," he said, hitting the rhythm, rocking back and forth and singing, putting his entire heart and soul into every word that left his body.

That old dog has chained you up alright.

Give you everything you need  
to live inside a twisted cage.  
Sleep beside an empty rage.  
I had a dream I was your hero! 

Damn, I wish I was your lover!  
I'll rock you till the daylight comes,  
make sure you are smiling and warm.  
I am everything!  
Tonight I'll be your lover.

I'll do such things to ease your pain,  
free your mind and you won't feel ashamed!

Open up on the inside,

gonna fill you up,

gonna make you cry.

This monkey can't stand to see you black and blue.  
I give you something sweet each time you  
come inside my jungle book.  
What, is it just too good?  
Don't say you'll stay,  
'Cause then you go away!

Damn, I wish I was your lover!  
I'll rock you till the daylight comes,  
make sure you are smiling and warm.  
I am everything!  
Tonight I'll be your lover.

I'll do such things to ease your pain,

free your mind and you won't feel ashamed! 

Shucks, for me there is no other!  
You're the only shoe that fits!  
I can't imagine I'll grow out of it.  
Damn, I wish I was your lover! 

If I was your guy believe me,  
I'd turn on the Rolling Stones,  
we could groove along and feel much better.  
You won't let me in!

I could do it forever and ever and ever and ever!  
Give me an hour to kiss you!  
Walk through heaven's door I'm sure,  
we don't need no doctor to feel much better!  
You won't let me in!  
Forever and ever and ever and ever! 

I sat on a mountainside with peace of mind.  
And I lay by the ocean,

making love to her with visions clear.  
Walked for days with no one near.  
And I return as chained and bound to you! 

Damn, I wish I was your lover!  
I'll rock you till the daylight comes,  
make sure you are smiling and warm.  
I am everything!  
Tonight I'll be your lover!

I'll do such things to ease your pain,  
free your mind and you won't feel ashamed!

Shucks! For me there is no other!  
You're the only shoe that fits!  
I can't imagine I'll grow out of it.  
Damn, I wish I was your lover! 

Just open up,

I'm gonna come inside,

I wanna fill you up,

I wanna make you cry! 

Damn, I wish I was your lover! 

Gettin' on the subway and I'm comin' uptown! 

Damn, I wish I was your lover! 

Standing on a street corner,

waiting for my love to change! 

Damn, I wish I was your lover! 

Feelin' like a schoolboy,

too shy and too young! 

Damn, I wish I was your lover! 

Open up,

I wanna come inside,

I wanna fill you up,

I wanna make you cry! 

Damn, I wish I was your lover! 

Gettin' on my camel and I'll ride it uptown! 

Damn, I wish I was your lover! 

Hanging around this jungle,

wishing that this fate will change!

Damn, I wish I was your lover!

Sitting quietly at the bench, looking at the keyboard, Russ let out a deep breath, feeling relaxed that everything that he sang was actually going to come into fruition. Looking out of the window, he remained silent, as he felt that the song fit his mood, and himself, absolutely perfectly. At least, at the time he did it. A moment later, he heard someone sniffling behind him, and he turned to look at Aeka. She was still seated at the couch, letting the tears roll out of her eyes once again. Feeling ashamed for a moment, Russ hung his head apologetically.

"That was one of the most beautiful songs I've ever heard," she cried, trying to keep herself under control. "And you did it for me, to tell me how you felt."

Slowly bobbing his head up and down, he still didn't look at her. "Yes."

Getting up, she moved around the coffee table and approached Russ, trembling, and trying to calm down. "Thank you," she whispered, bringing her lips to his, giving him a deep, passionate kiss. Letting it linger for a moment, she backed off a minute later, and smiled.

"After all I put you through, I'm still not sure I deserve any of this," he said, hanging his head, looking depressed.

"Shut up," she said, kissing him again. "You deserve everything you have, and more. And you deserve me too, as I deserve you. I believe that we were fated to fall in love and be together for the remainder of our lives."

Finally smiling, feeling contented, and wanted, Russ let out another soft sigh. "Thank you, Aeka. That means the world to me," he said, standing up, taking her in his arms, and holding her tightly against himself. "I love you, Aeka."

"I love you too, Russ," she whispered, feeling so safe and secure in his grasp. "I've always loved you, from the day we met."

"It feels so good to be alive right now," he whispered, feeling his emotions become a little misty.

"Yes, it does. I love you so much," she said, starting to cry once again.

"What's wrong, Aeka? Why are you crying?" he said, keeping his voice very low.

Sniffling, Aeka smiled, looking into Russ's eyes. "I'm just so happy right now that I can't stop it," she answered, squeezing him again.

Russ's breath caught in his throat for a moment, as he felt her trembling body against his, as he held her close, feeling loved, and in love, for the first time in a very long time.

Creeping back to their room quietly, Tenchi and Ryoko slid the door shut behind them, sighing softly.

"That is just so romantic," Ryoko said, wistfully. "I feel so happy for Aeka."

"I do too," Tenchi added, looking at his TV, which he left on. The Matrix was currently playing from a VCR tape he had, and they were at the point where Neo and Trinity were shooting up the office building, dropping guard after guard in a hailstorm of bullets. He couldn't hear any of it, because he turned his sound off when Russ started playing.

"The song he played was so nice too," she said, looking at Tenchi. "I'm glad you were able to translate it for me."

"I learn a lot of English in school," Tenchi said, moving back to his bed and sitting down at the foot of it. Ryoko sat down next to him, and began to cuddle again. "It's a very hard language to learn."

"If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have been able to make heads or tails of it."

Tenchi smiled, feeling very proud of the fact that he knew more than one language. "I'm sure there are other languages that you know that I don't," Tenchi said, feeling Ryoko wrap her arms around him once again.

Pressing her lips to his, she held the kiss for a few moments, feeling his warmth. "Shall we go to bed, Tenchi? I'm sure Russ and Aeka will be going soon as well. It's late, and I'm tired. It's been a long day," she said, resting her head on Tenchi's shoulder.

"Yes it has. I'm very happy for both Aeka and Russ, but I still wish I knew why he is so hard on himself. It was really hard to watch him try to get away from us, thinking that we were going to reject and shun him. I hope he never tries that again."

Ryoko smiled, giving Tenchi a gentle squeeze. "He won't. I know he won't. There isn't a thing in this universe that can take Aeka away from him now. He'd destroy anything that tried to come in between them. I'm almost going to feel sorry for Aeka's father for when he gets here. He's going to have one hell of a rude surprise in store."

"I'm still worried about that too. Even though both Russ and Zorpheus are now on the same side once again, they are going to have to deal with an entire fleet of ships that are on their way here. I know their fighters are the most powerful that I've ever seen, but even they probably won't be able to handle the sheer number of ships that's coming," Tenchi said, looking distressed.

Ryoko smiled wider, and shook her head. "Tenchi. Have a little faith in Russ. If it's one thing that I believe about him, it is that he can do anything. And I will help him with Ryo-Ohki, as I'm sure Aeka will help him with Ryu-Oh."

"What about Kiyone and Mihoshi?"

Becoming thoughtful, Ryoko let out a deep sigh. "They're a wildcard. They do not want to get the Galaxy Police involved in a skirmish against the Jurian Military, so they most likely will not participate. Still, knowing those two, they might surprise us."

"How far off are they?"

"Washu says they're about two days away. They'll arrive the day after tomorrow, so they have one day to relax and enjoy each other before the storm comes."

Nodding his head, Tenchi flopped back onto his bed, feeling the remote to his TV dig into his back. Reaching behind him, he fished it out from under him and turned his TV off, and then slid the remote to his pillow. "I wish I wasn't such a worrier. It's going to make my hair fall out."

Looking at him curiously, Ryoko grinned. "I wonder what you'd look like bald," she teased.

"Hah. No way. Uh-uh. Not a chance. Just forget about THAT, Ryoko," he responded, taking in a deep breath and letting it out in a tired yawn. His clock now said midnight, and he could feel it in his body as well. "It's time for bed."

"Want to make a bet?" Ryoko whispered, grinning.

"What kind of bet?"

"A fun one, but you'll probably find it offensive."

Sitting up on his elbows, Tenchi raised his eyebrow at her. "Well, what is it?"

"What do you want to bet that Russ and Aeka sleep with each other tonight?" she asked.

"They've already slept together before, so that's no big deal."

Ryoko shook her head. "You're not listening, Tenchi. What do you want to bet that Russ and Aeka SLEEP WITH EACH OTHER, tonight?"

Looking confused, Tenchi didn't answer.

Facefaulting straight to the floor, Ryoko crawled up over the bedside, glaring at her fiancée. "Sometimes you're really dense, Tenchi, so I'll put it in words that you'll understand. What do you want to bet Aeka and Russ have sex with each other tonight?"

His eyes widening, Tenchi looked to the ceiling, trying to avoid an answer.

"Well? I'm waiting," Ryoko whispered, lying down next to her beloved.

"I'm not really a betting man," Tenchi finally said, raising a giggle from Ryoko.

"Did you know that Aeka has been so hot and horny for the last few months that she could barely stand it?" she said, seeing Tenchi grow very cross.

"And what business of that is yours?" he returned, glaring at her. "Did you have to ask her to find that out or something?"

Ryoko shook her head, taking the whole thing in stride. "It wasn't difficult to figure out, since she was giving nearly every sign imaginable that she wanted him. There are signs that we give when we want something, especially with body language."

"I never noticed."

"That's my Tenchi," she cooed, giggling. "Dense as a rock. I bet they won't even get five feet in Russ's room before she tackles him and rips his clothes off."

"She's not like you, Ryoko," Tenchi said, yawning again.

"Since when have I ripped your clothes off? I think I've been pretty much normal, if you compare me to Earth standards, if there is such a thing."

Tenchi sat up on his bed, being careful to remove his shirt, exposing his muscular body. "You wait for me to take my clothes off and then you tackle me, Ryoko. Not that I mind or anything."

The passionate fire in Ryoko's eyes began to burn, as the sight of him without his shirt was almost always enough to turn her on. "Time for bed," she said, floating up off of the bed, heading to the light switch and turning it off, letting the soft moonlight illuminate Tenchi's room by itself. Floating back over to him, she pressed her lips to his, running her fingers down his back, feeling more and more in love with him with each passing moment.

"Is there something bothering you, Ryoko?" Tenchi asked, looking concerned.

"You haven't made love to me for over a week. I'm tensed up!" she whined, setting down on the bed. Pressing her lips to his again, she could feel him become flushed, and she knew that she was simulating him in just the right way.

Feeling their lips separate, Tenchi smiled. "So you want to make up for lost time, is that it?"

Nodding enthusiastically, Ryoko pushed Tenchi down onto the bed, preparing for a long, strenuous, but very pleasurable night with her love.

Down in the dungeon of Washu's Laboratory, many things were happening, all at once. A weeklong experiment of Washu's was still cultivating on one of her shelves, and it was almost complete. Calculations of a new gene splice were almost finished, and a new type of weapon that she was working on was just about done. Every now and then, a lightning bolt would flash between two of the weapons' electrodes, producing the strong scent of ozone.

Sitting across from the red-haired scientific genius, Zorpheus was busily researching the symptoms he had in her database, trying to find a match. Washu had insisted that he wouldn't find anything like that there, but he wanted to try anyway. He was already an hour into his search, and she could see he was starting to become frustrated.

"DAMMIT! Five items that matched my search pattern have come up, but none of them were what I wanted! Argh! This is pissing me off," Zorpheus growled, glaring at his computer screen.

"I told you that you wouldn't find anything in there," Washu responded, looking up from her latest experiment, which consisted of replicating the cortosis ore from a fragment of Zorpheus's sword.

"Come on! Even Earthlings have heard of things like this happening before. Take Fushigi Yugi for example. Tamahome had swallowed something called Kodoku, which is a poison that alters the mind. In the right dosage, it could bring out specific traits in someone to make them side with you, rather than with his or her own allies."

Washu glared at him. "You're comparing fantasy to reality. That has no basis in science."

"Like hell it doesn't," Zorpheus argued. "I'm certain that you could develop a drug that could do that to someone, if you had the time to do so. The sky is the limit and science can help you get there."

Waving her hand and brushing Zorpheus off, Washu returned to her work. "Whatever."

"Why not help me out rather than work on that cortosis ore," he growled, flustered. "I could use your help, and I thought you'd help me out after I let you examine me."

"You wouldn't let me get my sample. You're just like Russ."

Zorpheus blushed for a moment, and then hid it behind a façade of pride. "I just wasn't ready for that, okay? Give me a bit to find the mood, and we can have all the adult fun we want, but right now, I'm more in the mood for finding out what happened to me."

Glaring at him from across the table, Washu stood up and moved over to his side, sliding his computer away from him.

"Hey, I'm not done yet!" Zorpheus complained.

"You are now," she said, sitting down on the bench in front of Zorpheus. "I've been thinking about your incident too, but I can only figure on a couple of things. Needless to say, there was only one other incident where someone was altered, but not in the same way as you. A man named Doctor Clay had kidnapped Ryoko, but we managed to stop him. But when we sent him off to the Galaxy Police, he had forgotten all about one particular person that he mentioned to me, and that person's name was Lady Tokimi. I have no idea who or what she is, but I had a feeling that she was behind his altering. The same thing happened with a robot named Zero, which I merged with Ryoko. Their memories were combined, however, after a day or so, Ryoko had forgotten all about Tokimi as well, so I believe the incidents were related," Washu explained. "I have no records of this Lady Tokimi anywhere, nor can I find anything about this person anywhere else. All I have is a name."

Zorpheus frowned, disappointed. "Dammit. I wonder why I was modified, if she was the one behind it all. I've never even heard of her before you mentioned her name, so it doesn't really fit the 'why' it happened. Ugh, this is giving me a headache," he complained, holding his head.

Sighing softly, Washu patted him on his shoulder. "But anyway, how is the new arm working out for you?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Great, thanks. It looks a lot better than my old one and it actually feels more natural. If it wasn't for this little access door you have here," he said, pointing to the little square on the underside of his wrist, "this thing could pass off as completely natural. It even feels natural, with the warmth and the texture of the skin on it. The other arm probably belonged to a Borg Drone before I got it attached."

Grinning, Washu slid off of the tabletop and landed softly on the floor, and then leaned against it. "What is this Borg stuff you keep talking about?"

Zorpheus looked at her strangely, and then shrugged his shoulders. "It's a race of cyborg people in Startrek. They are in every single Startrek except for the Original Series and Enterprise. They are the most powerful, most feared race in the entire series. Their ships were giant cubes, about three square kilometers in size for the big ones, and they'd assimilate other cultures into their being, fitting them with robotic parts and the like to 'improve' them. Their entire purpose was to achieve the highest level of perfection, but for some reason, they were never able to assimilate anything in the alpha quadrant. What I mean is, they were never able to assimilate an entire race. They did it constantly in the Delta Quadrant, because that is where their home area was," he explained, watching Washu's blank expression. "But anyway, they were really dumbed down in Startrek Voyager. They really butchered them in that series. In the Next Generation, they were nearly unstoppable. I'd really hate to see them for real, if there is a race like them in our universe."

"Amazing story," Washu said, smiling. "Cyborg people who are nearly unstoppable. Crazy stuff, these Earthlings come up with."

"Crazy stuff is our bag. But I'm sure you never dreamt of someone like me or Russ coming along, did you?"

"I have to admit, no. I always figured on the Jurians being the most powerful. The emperor of Jurai was supposed to be the strongest in the universe, but you guys make him look insignificant," Washu said, grinning.

"Who is this Jurai emperor that Aeka had told me about? Do you know anything about him? And why is she so upset that he's coming here?" Zorpheus asked, concerned.

Closing her eyes and drawing a breath through her teeth in a hiss, she released it in a deep sigh, and looked down at Zorpheus. "The emperor's name is Asuza. He is Aeka's father, and the most powerful, influential man in this galaxy. The Jurai Empire is the most powerful civilization in existence, as they have the most people, the most number of ships, and the most colonized planets out of any other race," she explained, frowning. "King Asuza has been vehemently against the coupling of Aeka and Russ from the moment he learned about him. But before that, Aeka used to be attracted to Tenchi, and again, Asuza didn't like that one bit. He's a very material man, who looks for a person who has money, has power and influence, and has an empire of his own that he's willing to integrate in with the Jurian military. If a man has any less than those three, he doesn't want anything to do with him."

"Sounds like the regular royal pain-in-the-ass," Zorpheus said, listening to her.

"Pretty much. He's been the ruler of the Empire for many, many years, and he has become a cold, almost heartless man. At least, that's all we're allowed to see. On occasion, he will show generosity to the Galaxy Police or another ally of theirs to help them out in some form or another, but when it comes to his daughter, he's steadfast and unwilling to bend his ways. He has this image that Aeka will fall in love with a handsome prince, solely for the purpose of acquiring their possessions, and to have Aeka bear an heir to the throne. However, Aeka's feelings are not supposed to get in the way of what he decides. She wants someone to love her as a woman, and not as the princess of a vast empire."

"Who wouldn't?" Zorpheus interjected.

"I know, but the king doesn't see it that way. He had set up many marriage meetings between Aeka and many prospective… clients, we'll say. Aeka didn't like a single one of them, as she told me that all of them seemed so false. They showered her in priceless gifts, showed her the utmost courtesy, and gave her only the very best of everything they could offer, but Aeka could see through it all to the truth underneath. Most of them were braggarts and very arrogant, and Aeka didn't like that quality about any of them. They didn't really love her, but they wanted the throne and to be a part of the Jurian empire."

"That kind of life sucks! It's no wonder Aeka chose to live here," Zorpheus said, frowning.

"That's part of the reason. She had fallen in love with Tenchi several years ago. They met each other while Aeka was searching for her missing brother, and she wound up getting into a firefight with Ryoko. Both of their ships were destroyed, leaving both Aeka and Ryoko stranded here for the time being. Sasami came looking for her sister a while later, but because of an incident with a carrot, Sasami's ship was also destroyed, leaving the two of them here. During that time, Aeka had gotten to know Tenchi, and gradually over time, fell in love with him. However, Ryoko loved him too, and because of that, the two of them fought over him constantly. There were many times when our enemies captured both Ryoko and Aeka, and it was Tenchi who rescued them time and time again. He even rescued me from Kagato," she said, remembering his heroic effort. "Aeka found that to be so noble and so brave, but besides that, she found him to be completely honest with her, about everything, and that's what made her fall in love with him."

"So what happened after that?" Zorpheus asked, curious.

"Anyway, Asuza took great exception to that, and had confronted both Aeka and Sasami about it. Both girls refused to leave, even after he insisted that they come home with him to rule the empire, as they were meant to do. After they both refused again and again, the king seemingly gave up, and left. However, I could sense that he was being deceptive, but he never got a chance to do anything. Two years later, an incident involving a person named Haruna, turned the whole thing inside out, and it forced Aeka to give up on Tenchi, to save his life. It was very tragic for her, but she knew, in her heart, Tenchi responded more to Ryoko than her, and it was then that she knew that she lost the race."

"Oh man, that must've done a number on her," Zorpheus said, looking sympathetic.

"Yes it did. She stopped eating properly and she distanced herself from all of us. She took many walks by herself, and really didn't discuss what was bothering her with anybody. She continued to live here for a while after the incident, and I believe she was preparing to go back home, but that's when Russ arrived at our doorstep."

Letting a smile creep onto his lips, he relaxed himself a little more. "Perfect timing, eh?"

Washu smiled. "You have no idea how perfect. It was exactly what the doctor ordered. Almost immediately, Aeka perked up and started coming around, as Russ was unlike anybody she had ever seen before. But poor girl, she was becoming desperate for someone to have and to hold, and when she asked Russ about it, he turned her down flat on the first day."

"Typical," Zorpheus growled. "But I can sort-of understand why."

"Still, she continued to pursue him, never giving up. Since she didn't have any competition against him, she was able to focus all of her effort on only getting him to fall in love with her. After only a week of living with us, Russ turned her around completely. She seemed to be happier, even though he told her that he wasn't interested. I guess it was because she had someone to talk with, and the fact that he was very easy going and a very nice person. Of course, his dashing good looks didn't hurt any," Washu sighed, grinning.

"Of course, he has nothing on me," Zorpheus said, smiling. "It's the scar that sets off the ladies."

Staring at him funny, Washu just brushed it off. "Whatever. But anyway, soon after he arrived, we all went to something called the Startica Festival on Jurai. It's a lot like Christmas is here on Earth, but it takes place in summertime there. Russ suggested that we go, and he's the one who made it possible. That's when we met Tom, and we were all introduced to that crazy ship of his. I almost didn't believe that a ship could travel at that speed without breaking apart, but somehow, Tom and his crew figured it out. They literally pioneered a lot of technology onboard that vessel. But he graciously took us all to Jurai and stayed with us there, and then took us home afterward. During that time on Jurai, King Asuza had met Russ, and things didn't go well at ALL, right from the get-go. The king was incredibly rude to Russ, as he either glared at him, ignored him, or said rotten stuff about him, even in front of Russ's face."

"He's lucky it wasn't me standing in front of him. I would've given him free cosmetic surgery. I cannot stand people like that who judge someone even before they said a word," Zorpheus said, his eyebrows furrowed together. His fists were also clenched in his lap.

"Well, it did eventually come around to bite him in the rear, as Russ showed him his awesome power. He never even went super saiyan, but it was more than enough to make the king think twice about tangling with him. I think that's why he's bringing such a big fleet with him. Still, Russ had done many things there at the Startica Festival, including giving us all of the prizes that he won and saving the lives of the crew of a disabled ship that almost crashed into the palace. Both Misaki and Funaho, Misaki being Aeka's mom and Funaho being her aunt, approved of Russ almost immediately. They could see how respectful he was and they could also sense how powerful he was, and they both learned that Aeka was very much attracted to him, and they could see why. They gave her their blessing, but Aeka's father didn't want any part of it. The major difference between Misaki and Asuza is that Misaki wants to see her daughter happy, but Asuza wants someone who can benefit the empire. Love is only a trifle and shouldn't interfere with the duty of a princess," Washu explained.

"That's a bunch of crap," Zorpheus sneered. "Aeka would've been miserable there."

"Yes, she would have, but that didn't matter much to the king… at least, as far as we could see. There were a few times where he talked to Aeka, as he tried to convince her to see it his way, but to no avail. She's as stubborn as they come. After a big fight, Aeka and Sasami both came back home with us, free of their ties for the time being. I guess Asuza figured that he could wait. It was at this point that Russ figured that a relationship with her was completely out of the question, and he continued to turn her down."

Looking down at the floor for a moment, deep in thought, Zorpheus shook his head. "I'd hate to have him for a father-in-law."

"Even though he is a creep at times, he can be a good father too. For the most part, he allows his girls to do as they please, despite what he wants. However, he's very, very much against Russ, for obvious reasons. He was against Tenchi too, but because Tenchi is actually a Jurian prince and has the noble bloodline, not to mention the lighthawk wings, he was more accepting toward him. But Russ has nothing to offer and he's of a race that's supposed to be extinct, so it was pretty easy to see why the king was so against him."

"But Aeka is happy with him. How come he couldn't see that?" Zorpheus said, confused.

"Like I said before, it's because it's the duty of a princess to marry the one who will best benefit the empire, and as far as the king could see, Russ had nothing to offer. At least Tenchi was of noble bloodline," Washu explained, shifting positions, as the table was starting to bite into her backside.

"Duty this, duty that. She IS still a woman," Zorpheus growled, glaring at Washu.

"I understand that, but if you try to see it from Asuza's perspective, it becomes a little more rational, but not much. He is looking for material benefits more than the actual man behind it all. If he had taken a second look at Russ, he probably would've realized that their empire would've been invincible. As it stands, I'm sure Russ could annihilate the entire empire… by himself."

Zorpheus nodded. "Yes he can. He could easy turn the entire Jurai system and its colonized planets into shredded Swiss cheese. It would take him a while, but he'd be able to do it."

"That's just scary," Washu said, gazing down to the floor. "But anyway, as far as Russ and Aeka went, Aeka continued to try to get him to come around, but he's very stubborn and unwavering. But each and every time Russ would do something amazing, she'd fall deeper and deeper in love with him. There was a time a while back where one of the most powerful villains had gone back in time to kill Tenchi's mother. His name was Kain, and he was, by far, the most powerful being anybody had encountered. He had destroyed worlds, killed billions of people, and just wrecked havoc throughout the galaxy. We had managed to stop him, or so we thought. About eight or nine months ago, he returned and tried to kill Tenchi. But this time, Tenchi was better prepared and he fought Kain, but still, it wasn't enough. That was when Russ stepped in. For the very first time, he turned himself into a super saiyan and completely blew away Kain as if it were nothing. It was so radical and scary that we really didn't know what to think. I still think of him as a god of sorts, because he's so powerful," she said, looking back at Zorpheus.

Grinning, Zorpheus started snickering. "A god, eh? Well, if I had become immortal, I would've been a god. But eh, that's not what I'm after anymore."

"Glad to hear it," Washu responded, letting a gleam reflect off of her emerald eyes. "Russ continued to show us amazing feats of strength and power throughout the year. But the neat thing was when Aeka decided to train with him. She started doing that a few weeks after he arrived, because she was starting to go stir-crazy from doing nothing. She wanted someone to talk to and to be with, so she decided to train with him, and after a bit of it, she found that she really enjoyed it. They sparred with each other frequently, but Russ was always very careful with her, as he knew he could easily hurt her. He taught her how to fly in her current form, and he also got Sasami to do it too. He was always very welcoming and very happy to have a partner to train with, and they hit it right off. They trained up until two weeks ago, when Russ started a weeklong meditation. It was then that we knew something was wrong, and we figured that it had to do with your impending arrival."

"I see. Russ usually will concentrate hard if he knows he's up against something very powerful, or more powerful than him," Zorpheus interjected, nodding his head. "I do the same thing from time to time, but mainly to dream up new ways to use my ki."

Nodding her head in understanding, Washu leapt back onto the table, taking a seat once again, letting out a little grunt in the process. "I noticed that you had quite a broad selection of attacks that you were using on Russ. But anyway, we're getting off-track," she said, continuing her story. "A while after the Kain incident, Christmas rolled around. Now, I've never been much for holidays and the like, but when Christmas came around, he totally blew me away with everything that he had done for us. He had given each of us a radical gift, some of which seemed impossible. But what set Aeka off is that he brought her ship back from destruction, using the power of the Dragonballs. It was at that point, when he showed her the ship, that she cemented her love for him, right then and there. It was at that point that she committed herself to getting Russ, no matter what it took, and it didn't matter what anybody else said or did. But she did change her tactics. Up until that day, she continued to pressure Russ and continually ask him about dating her, or becoming involved. It usually wound up in having Russ take off, or somehow getting away from her. It broke her heart each and every time he ran away, but she never gave up. Her mother gave her a bit of advice, mainly to stop chasing him and allow him to come to her instead. The advice seemed to work, as Russ never ran away after that, and he seemed to be much more relaxed around her when she stopped bringing it up."

"Interesting. Most of the time while we were out and about, girls would approach him, but he'd brush them off and leave. The thing was, he'd never see them again. I guess since he lived here, he couldn't escape her for very long," Zorpheus said, looking thoughtful.

"I agree. Needless to say, most of us could see that he was becoming more and more attached to him as each day went by, but he always, always turned her down for a date or a relationship. Even her sister kept mentioning it to him, but he'd still refuse. Sasami is so pure-hearted and innocent, but still so young, so she couldn't understand why Russ kept doing what he did. But even she never gave up. She kept insisting that he be her big brother. It was so sweet."

"Aww. She is very nice, sweet, and adorable. I bet Russ kept going to pieces whenever she'd get upset over his refusals."

"Sometimes. But he was very adamant about not having a relationship. Even I was starting to wonder about him, as I've never seen another man hold out as long as he did, aside from Tenchi. But the circumstances between Tenchi and Russ were different, which makes it even more amazing that Russ continued to refuse Aeka for as long as he did. Finally, on the night before your arrival, Russ confessed that he was indeed in love with her, and was willing to try it with her if things went good the day after. Well, you know what happened on that day and you saw the end result today, so I guess all's well that ends well," Washu said, shrugging her shoulders.

Zorpheus shook his head. "Even though I wish the end result was the same, they didn't deserve that trial-by-fire. However, it might've served to strengthen their bond even further. But now I can see that they're both hopelessly in love with each other, and there is no way in hell that those two can be separated. For one, I'll make sure that they don't. I owe Russ a lot, and this is one way I can help to repay that debt."

"Well, you will probably have that chance a day after tomorrow… or rather, tomorrow. Its after midnight now," Washu said, looking at the time on the computer display.

Sighing quietly, Zorpheus rubbed his eyes and yawned. "I'm still wired. I need to do something. Is there anything you need help with?"

"Well, actually, there is. Come with me," Washu said, sliding off of the table again.

"Lead the way, babe," Zorpheus said, grinning.

Turning around with a look of total fury in her eyes, she balled up her fist and let it fly at Zorpheus's head, but hit nothing but air. "Nice swing," he taunted.

"Do not call me babe, mister," she growled. "I'm NOT available, and definitely not to a child like you."

Zorpheus shrugged, still grinning. "But I thought chicks dig younger men?"

Washu growled again. "You know, I might not be much of a fighter, but there are plenty of OTHER ways I can get back at you."

"Okay, okay. Point taken," he said, putting up his hands submissively, but keeping a sly grin on his face.

Turning away, Washu headed deeper into her lab.

"Oh yeah. That's a lot of woman," he quietly said to himself, as he fell into step behind her.

Yawning loudly, stretching his arms over his head, Russ was finding it increasingly difficult to stay awake anymore. Sitting on the couch, staring at the TV that unfortunately didn't have anything of interest playing, which made him even more sleepy, he glanced over at Aeka, who also looked about ready to doze off. Sasami and Ryo-Ohki had already gone upstairs and gone to bed, as it was nearing one in the morning. Letting out another yawn, Aeka snuggled a little closer to him, causing him to become uncomfortable from all the excess heat.

"Aw man, I've GOT to go to bed," Russ mumbled. "I'm starting to see things now."

Aeka smiled. "What do you see?"

"Well, everything is starting to glow, and for some reason, a beautiful girl is laying against me," he said, letting a grin slide onto his lips.

"Mmmm, and why would you be hallucinating that?" she asked, closing her eyes.

"Well, I've never had anything like that happen before," he explained. "But it seems so real. I can see it, and I can feel it. I actually feel quite hot right now."

"Am I turning you on?" she teased.

"I mean I'm overheating. It's too hot in here," he complained, yawning yet again. Shifting positions, he forced Aeka to sit up. "I have to go to bed." Turning toward her, he smiled. "Goodnight, Aeka. Sleep well. I'm headed to the bathroom to take a quick shower, and then I'm going to bed."

"Alright, you win," she sighed, getting up. Holding onto the couch for support, she stumbled a few steps, almost looking like she was drunk. After stretching her legs a moment, she made her way to the stairs and started making her way up, eyeing Russ the whole time. "Good night, Russ."

Looking up at her, he smiled and nodded his head. Making his way to the bathroom, he slid the door open, which miraculously went to the men's bathroom on the first try. Not having a reaction to it, he stepped inside, dropped his pants, and sat down on the porcelain throne.

"What a day," he mumbled to himself. Thinking about all that had happened, he still wasn't sure why things turned out the way they did. It was just all such a strange set of circumstances that happened all in a row, and it worked out perfectly. He now had a girlfriend, lived in a home with a big family who loved and cared for him, and further still, he got Zorpheus back as his best friend once again. Yes indeed, today was the best day to be alive.

Relaxing for a moment, he closed his eyes, feeling the dry stickiness from being overtired. Immediately, his mind jumped to Aeka once again. Ever since he had come back, she had not left his side, except for a few moments ago. She never let him out of her sight, and he found it cute, and it made him feel very good. But a moment later, his mind shifted back to Laurie. She was his first love, but nothing was ever allowed to come of it. But now, he looked at the incident in a different light. Even though he still felt horrible over the entire tragedy, he realized that indeed, there was nothing that he could've done, but he wished with all of his heart that he could have. Saying a silent prayer to himself, he let out a deep sigh, and cleared his mind. Feeling better, he figured that getting himself involved once more is something that Laurie would've wanted, especially with someone like Aeka.

Standing up, he kicked his pants off completely and took off his shirt, tossing them onto the cold floor. Stepping over to the shower, he turned on the water, stepped inside, and cleaned himself quickly, being careful to scrub a little longer around his stinky areas.

"No matter how much I wash, I still stink," Russ muttered, sniffing under his arm after he scrubbed under there. Twice. "Ugh. I'm glad deodorant was invented, or I'd be in deep trouble."

After another few moments in the shower, he turned the water off, snapped his energy around him once, drying him instantly, and generated yet another fresh, clean gi around himself, coloring it the same colors as Aeka's favorite kimono, which was blue and purple. Admiring himself in the mirror for a moment, he frowned, and then grinned. "Not bad, but the colors look better on Aeka."

Stepping out of the bathroom into a dark living room, illuminated only by the moonlight that filtered through the windows, Russ lifted off of the floor and glided up the stairs, setting down on the landing, as the stairs made a considerable amount of noise when he walked on them. Tip-toeing over to his room, he reached out to the door, and stopped for a second.

Cocking his eyebrow for a moment, he thought he sensed something inside, but he shook his head, brushing it off, thinking it was a result of being too tired. Sliding back his door and moving inside, he closed the door behind him and slowly moved to his bed, removing his shirt in the process. Tossing it onto the floor, he threw back the covers to his bed, reached over to turn on his desk fan, but grabbed nothing but air. Glancing at the empty space where his fan used to occupy, he remembered that he packed it into his fighter, and his fighter was still onboard the Gray Wolf. Sighing in disappointment, he sat down on the bed, looking out of the window.

Getting a feeling that he was being watched, Russ glanced over to the door, and saw a shadow of someone standing there. Looking harder, and watching the figure approach, Aeka's face became visible as she stepped into the moonlight, dressed in her nightgown.

"I thought you were in here, but I wasn't sure," Russ said, keeping his deep voice low.

Aeka just smiled, and sat down on the bed next to him, looking shy, embarrassed, and very beautiful. Glancing up at him, she continued to smile, as she looked into Russ's eyes.

"What?" Russ asked, confused. "Am I forgetting something?"

"You didn't kiss me goodnight," she answered, grinning.

Feeling his breath get caught in his throat, he could feel his face heat up, and if it weren't for the moonlight, Aeka would've seen him blush. "Oh."

"Close your eyes," she whispered, bringing herself closer to Russ.

He did as he was told, feeling the mattress tilt a little more toward Aeka, as she leaned over and gently rested her lips on Russ's. He could feel her warmth, her touch, and her gentleness. It felt good. Actually, it felt really, really good. Holding that pose for nearly a minute, Aeka broke the kiss, but kept her face only inches from Russ's.

Reopening his eyes, he looked into Aeka's, and could see she was waiting for something. "Is there something else?" he asked, confused.

"Maybe you don't get it yet," she answered, giggling. Again, pressing her lips to his, she scooted closer to him, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her body to his, rubbing her hands down his back, feeling the mountain of muscles that presented themselves everywhere she touched. Kissing him harder, she pushed herself even closer, now holding onto his arm, caressing it forcefully, but gently. Breaking the kiss again, she looked into his eyes, and waited.

Again, Russ looked at her, but he started getting a feeling of what she wanted. "Um, Aeka," he began. "I don't think this is the right time to do something like that."

"How come?" she asked, sounding disappointed, but hiding her expression well.

"Well, we're not married, and we haven't even technically dated yet, and… um… well… it just seems too soon," he mumbled, looking away.

Giggling softly, she smiled. "You do realize that we've been together for over a year, and even though we said we weren't dating, you still took me out and showed me a good time. I think that's close enough for me, and to tell you the truth, I've been waiting for a long time to give myself to you."

Feeling his eyes widen considerably, he glanced up at her, seeing the warm, soft smile, her gorgeous eyes, and her beautiful hair, which she let flow freely down her back. She looked absolutely perfect in the moonlight, and even though he tried willing it away, he could feel himself becoming flushed. "Um, I still think we should wait, at least for a little while," Russ objected.

Again, Aeka smiled. "You're nervous. I can tell. I bet you've never even seen a girl naked before, have you?" she teased, leaning against him.

Looking away shyly, Russ shook his head. "Zorpheus was always the one to go to the topless bars, but I've never been to one, and I don't like looking at porn," he admitted. "No, I've never seen a girl naked in my life."

"I knew it," she whispered, undoing her gown.

Grasping her hands in his, Russ shook his head. "Please, don't take this the wrong way, but I'm not ready yet, if you know what I mean," he said, looking concerned. "I'm… just not ready."

Her smile slowly melted off of her face, until it settled into a look of unhappiness and disappointment. "Oh. I… see. I'm sorry, Russ. I shouldn't have tried to force myself on you like that."

Shaking his head, Russ smiled. "I'm sure I would enjoy it," he whispered into her ear. "But we should wait to see the outcome of you and your parents."

"Screw my parents," she retorted, grinning again. "Do you have any idea how long I've wanted you? Do you?" she said, pushing him down on top of the sheets, getting on top of him and sitting on his massive chest. "Months. There were times where I just wanted to rip your clothes off and force you to make love to me, and there were other times where I almost thought you were going to make the first move. But it's been months, Russ. I've loved you so deeply and for so long, that I just can't stand it anymore. If you're worried about getting me pregnant, don't worry. I've actually been on contraceptives for at least six months, and now at this point, I absolutely have to have you," she said, a ravenous fire burning in her eyes and her breath. She leaned closer to Russ, pinning his arms to the mattress, so he could feel her body against his and feel the energy in her breath as she spoke. "Make love to me, Russ. I demand it," she said, looking dead serious, but looking so beautiful and hopeful at the same time.

"I already told you, Aeka, that we should wait, and that…"

"Shut up," she said, pressing her lips to his, silencing him. Grasping his hand, she brought it to her chest, letting him feel her body for the first time. Breaking the kiss again, she smiled. "Do you feel me, Russ? Does that feel good?" she asked.

"Now stop it, Aeka," Russ said, his tone becoming very serious. "I can obviously see that you want me, but I'm not ready to give myself to you. Not yet, anyway. Just wait a few more days, and we'll see, okay?" he said, noting the surprise written all over Aeka's face.

"You… don't want me?" she said, her face in shock and disbelief. Sitting up, she brought both her hands in front of her, placing them both over her heart. "You really don't want me?" she asked again.

Russ grimaced, knowing he was between a rock and a hard place. "Dammit," he whispered under his breath. "I do want you, very much. Yes, I do want to make love to you. But not right now. I'm very excited, yes, but I can't help but feel that it's too sudden, and it just feels weird."

Continuing to look very disappointed, Aeka let out a soft sigh, letting a tear fall out of the corner of her eye, its presence reflecting the moonlight as it traveled down her cheek. Aeka brushed it away before it got to her chin, and she looked down at Russ, not knowing what to do.

Closing his eyes and reopening them a few moments later, Russ let out a deep sigh, feeling disappointed in himself for making her upset again. He realized that he had a long way to go before he understood women. "Would you please spend the night in here with me, Aeka?" he asked, feeling guilty and looking for a way to make it up to her. "I'd very much appreciate the company."

"But, you don't want to make love?" she asked again, looking desperate. Closing her eyes and letting out another sigh, she shook her head. "Tenchi was the same way with Ryoko for a long time as well. I think it was because he had never done it before, but once he started, he enjoyed it. Very much," she explained. "There were many times when I desired him too, but never as strongly as I do with you. I feel like I'm going to explode," she whined. "I've never had it before, but I heard Tenchi and Ryoko talking about it many times and how much pleasure they both got from it. I want to feel it too, but I only wanted to feel it with the man I fell in love with, and that's you, Russ."

Sitting up, letting Aeka remain in his lap, Russ gently grasped both of her shoulders and looked into her eyes, seeing the desire there, as if it were a tangible thing. He could feel it in her shoulders and see it in her face, and it made him wonder why he really wanted to wait. Here was a gorgeous woman who was his age that loved him, and wanted to be with him for the rest of her life. Wondering for a moment as to why he was trying to turn her away, he realized that it was one of the dumbest things he could've come up with. Maybe he was just nervous.

Wrapping his powerful arms around her, bringing her to him, he squeezed her gently in a warm hug, as he rubbed her back with his hand. "I'm sorry, Aeka. I think I am nervous, because it too would be my first time. I'm not sure what to do, and I'm very nervous. Please forgive me, Aeka. I still have a lot to learn about women."

Feeling his hands gently rub her back, she also felt the nervousness within her own mind. For a moment, she felt that she was far too forceful, as she had never behaved that way in front of anybody in her life. She compared herself to Ryoko for an instant, but brushed it off, as she knew that she waited far longer than Ryoko ever did.

"I'm sorry I ruined the mood," Russ whispered. "But we can try again sometime."

Aeka nodded, still feeling disappointed. "I guess so."

"But for a little preview," Russ said, gently bringing her to him, resting his lips on hers, letting his hands gently glide up and down her arms, he let his hands roam up to her face, gently caressing her cheeks. Breaking the kiss a few moments later, he smiled, and he could see that Aeka was smiling too. "Hold that thought for when we do this for real," he whispered.

Holding herself back with all the restraint she could muster, she gazed into his eyes, and lost it. Shoving him back to the bed and pinning him there, she mashed her lips onto his, despite his muffled objections. Breaking the kiss for a moment, so utterly consumed by the maddening tenseness she felt within her, she held her face directly over Russ's, letting her hair fall down beside her, she smiled, rubbing her thighs together. "I'm sorry, but I can't wait anymore," she said, undoing her nightgown and letting it fall down, past her shoulders, revealing her body in the moonlight.

Finding himself become utterly surprised, overwhelmed, and completely flushed, Russ found himself unable to resist any longer. He desired her as well, and the sight of her in her natural state was more than enough to set him through the roof. Quickly reaching up and gasping her hands, he gazed into her eyes once more. "Are you sure?"

"Is my father an ass?" she countered, laying down on top of him, rubbing her hands over him, and feeling his body become warmer as she touched him.

Closing his eyes and silencing any objection he had, he allowed her to do what she wanted, and frankly, what he wanted too. For the first time in either one of their lives, they felt what it was like to be in love, and finally, to make love.

"I love you, Aeka," Russ whispered, as she lay on top of him, feeling his hands roam her skin.

Aeka smiled, then descended to him once more, resting her lips on his. "I love you too, Russ," she whispered, letting a tear of joy escape her eye.

Keeping themselves very, very quiet, they looked at each other with love and passion, and it was the best thing that could've ever been experienced. Letting themselves succumb to their primal desires, they spent the better part of the night enjoying each other's company.

Punching and kicking rapidly in the air, Russ stood by the lake, training like he always had for the past year. The sun was high in the sky, on a cloudless new day. His fists and feet were moving at such an incredible rate that it looked like he had five arms and five legs, but they were all blurred together.

Leaping into the air, he continued to exercise at his gravity machine's maximum level, but he barely felt the crushing weight at all. He could feel an incredible amount of extra strength, power, and energy since he had his fight with Zorpheus. Each time he came near death after a fight, it substantially increased his fighting strength, power, and speed. Two thousand times Earth gravity felt like a mere ten.

"Hey Russ!"

Stopping his exercise, he looked toward the source of the voice, and saw Zorpheus standing nearby. Landing on the ground, Russ looked at him expectantly.

"How do you feel?" he asked.

"Stronger than before. Why?"

Looking at him seriously, Zorpheus backed up several steps. "Power up to your maximum. I bet you can transform into a level two super saiyan because of our fight," he said.

Cocking his eyebrow, Russ shrugged his shoulders. "Maybe, maybe not. It doesn't really matter at this point, does it?"

Zorpheus grinned. "Just do it."

Russ rolled his eyes and shook his head. "Whatever."

Watching him clench his fists at his sides and close his eyes, Zorpheus watched, and waited. After nearly a minute of concentrating, Russ's hair stood on end, and instantly turned golden, as he transformed himself into a super saiyan, effortlessly. He could feel Russ's energy pulsing around him, and already, it was much stronger than before.

"Keep going," Zorpheus encouraged.

"Hold your horses," Russ mumbled, not having opened his eyes yet.

Becoming thoughtful for a moment, Zorpheus came up with an idea. "I know. Think of me killing Aeka while you power up. That ought to be more than enough to push you over the edge."

Opening his eyes, he shot a chilling look at Zorpheus, and he clenched his fists even tighter at his sides. Growling quietly, the ground started to rumble and the wind picked up, blowing the dust about. The sky darkened overhead as several yellow bolts of lightning arced through the sky, even though there wasn't a cloud overhead.

"Come on, Russ," Zorpheus growled. "I'm about to kill Aeka. Get pissed!"

Shaking with barely restrained control, Russ continued to push his energy higher and higher, until he reached a ceiling that he couldn't pass. Grunting and straining, he just couldn't push it up any further. However, his mind went to a flashback of Zorpheus pointing his finger directly at Aeka, with the most sinister grins Zorpheus had on his face. Watching the purple blast just squeeze past his fingertips, he watched it break Tenchi's lighthawk wing, and then pass straight through Aeka's chest, without showing a hint of stopping or slowing down. Blood spurted from her wound as she crumpled to the ground, mortally wounded.

As he watched, Zorpheus could feel Russ's energy start jumping around erratically, as his hair stood up even more than it had already. Blue bolts of energy started dancing around his aura, snaking around his arms and legs. Suddenly, Russ screamed at the top of his voice, as his power exploded around him, completely engulfing him in golden light.

"So… much… power!" Zorpheus stammered, as Russ's muscles expanded further, and every spike of hair on Russ's head stood straight up. It seemed to get a little longer as well. But the blue bolts of lightning increased in intensity, and for a moment, Zorpheus thought he was turning into Raiden, the God of Lightning.

After a few moments of blinding light, the shaking subsided, the wind died down, and Russ stood in his place. Raising one of his arms and admiring the awesome, radical rush of energy he just acquired, Russ glanced over at Zorpheus, and grinned.

Standing there with his jaw hanging open, Zorpheus found the whole thing to be almost unbelievable. "Amazing. I knew you would made it," he said, looking at him in awe.

Sasami, Aeka, Ryoko, and Tenchi all came out of the house, but they stopped when they looked at Russ. All four of them could see that he was different, and for a moment, they hesitated a moment before approaching them.

"What's going on here?" Aeka asked, very concerned. "Are you two going to fight again?"

Zorpheus shook his head. "No. I wanted to see if Russ could make it to level two, and he did," he said, gesturing to Russ.

"Level two?" Sasami asked, inquisitively "What's that?"

Glancing down at her, Russ smiled. "There are four stages of the super saiyan. Level one is what you saw while I was fighting this loser over here," he said, gesturing to Zorpheus, drawing a grin from his direction, "and level two is what you're looking at now. Level three is a radical change, as we get even bigger and our hair is supposed to become very, very long. Level four is only a myth, but some say that Goku had made it there several times. I don't know if it's true or not, but that's what was written in the old legends," he explained.

"Give me a demonstration of your newfound power, Russ," Zorpheus said, becoming a super saiyan. His artificial eye stubbornly remained red, but his other eye became green, and his hair became yellow and stood up straighter. "If I'm right, I probably won't even be able to touch you."

"Frankly, you should be able to make it to this too. It wasn't hard," Russ said, looking at him.

Zorpheus shook his head. "I lack a motivating factor right now. Maybe if I had a real girlfriend who loved me, then maybe I'd be able to make it to where you are. But, I don't need it, really. You're still no match for my mad skills," he said, balling up his fist and hurling it at Russ face. But to his utter amazement, Russ didn't even appear to move, yet, his fist past straight through where he was standing.

"Strike one," Russ taunted.

The rest of the family backed up about twenty feet, as Zorpheus went all out, trying to land a punch on Russ. Every single punch, kick, knee, or any other offensive move went straight through Russ, as if he were a ghost.

"I'm… just warming up… really!" Zorpheus panted, pushing himself to his limit in speed, but each blow continued to miss, and Russ wasn't even trying. He just stood there with a goofy grin on his face, and it didn't even look like he moved.

"C'mon, Zorph. Hit me," Russ said, folding his arms over his chest.

Leaping back several paces, Zorpheus powered up his energy and started flinging many small ki blasts at Russ, but every one of them were sent skyward by some invisible force. As the last blast was sent into orbit, Russ held his pose, with his hand outstretched, smiling widely.

"Incredible," Zorpheus said, breathing heavily. "That's absolutely astounding."

Hearing a soft beeping, Russ looked down at the gravity enhancer. "Oh, look at that. I forgot to turn the gravity machine off, so I was doing all of that at two thousand times Earth gravity," he said, smiling even wider.

Dropping his jaw, Zorpheus was about to say something, but he saw everybody coming over.

"You guys are insane," Tenchi said, approaching them. "I couldn't even see it."

"Me neither," added Sasami. "How come you guys are so strong?"

Zorpheus and Russ looked at each other, powered down, and shrugged their shoulders.

"I guess it's just the way we're made," Zorpheus said, folding his hands behind his back. "This is what we're meant to do, I guess."

Aeka approached Russ and took a hold of his arm, leaning against it. "You were really amazing," she whispered. "I'm so proud of you."

Feeling his face turn red, Russ glanced at everybody, as they were all grinning at him. "Aeka, everybody is looking," he hissed, feeling embarrassed.

Giggling softly, she snuggled closer to Russ. "I know."

"Well, I'm going to leave you two lovebirds alone," Zorpheus said, lifting off into the air. "I have my own training that I need to do, and on top of that, I'm going to go visit Tom. I haven't seen him in a long time before yesterday."

"Have a good time," Sasami called, watching him take off.

"So Aeka," Ryoko began, looking slyly at the princess. "You seem much more bold and different today. The same goes for Russ too. Did something happen last night?"

Looking at each other knowingly, Russ and Aeka both just smiled and stood next to each other, hand in hand.

Ryoko smiled and nodded her head. "Congratulations," she said, grabbing a hold of Tenchi. "So Russ, how long did it take for Aeka to rip off your clothes and make you screw her?"

"RYOKO!" Tenchi roared, horrified. "Have you no morals?!"

Laughing, Ryoko gave Tenchi a tender squeeze, letting herself calm down. "I'm kidding. It's none of my business, but I know what happened last night. It was pretty easy to tell."

"And how would you know that, Ryoko?" Aeka sneered, holding onto Russ's arm tighter.

"How could I NOT know," she retorted, letting an amused smirk onto her face. "You two were letting out so much energy that it was almost overwhelming. When I got up to see what was going on, I could hear you two in your room. I knew what was going on, but I'm very happy for the both of you."

"Immoral woman!" Aeka shouted, balling up her fists. "How dare you spy on an intimate moment between Russ and myself!"

"What's the big deal?" Ryoko said, turning her nose up at Aeka.

Hearing someone clear her throat, Russ, Aeka, Tenchi, and Ryoko all looked at Sasami, who was standing there with her arms folded, as she glared at both Aeka and Ryoko. "Have you forgotten that I'm still here?"

"Oops," Russ muttered under his breath, making Aeka start laughing.

"Come on, everybody. Lunch is on the table, and there is plenty for everybody," she said, turning toward the house.

"I'll be there in a few. I'm going to go get my fighter and I'll join you shortly," Russ said, putting two fingers to his forehead and vanishing.

Aeka looked at the vacant spot next to her, and shook her head. "I've got to learn how to do that."

Quietly following Ryoko, Tenchi, and Sasami to the house, Aeka looked skyward, hoping that for once in her life, her father would listen to her.

"You see? I told you what would probably happen last night."

Glaring at Ryoko, Tenchi kept quiet, heading out toward the shrine for his sword practice. His grandfather had been a lot harder on him than usual, as if there was some urgency about the whole thing. It made Tenchi wonder, but he knew better than to question Katsuhito. It usually got nowhere, and left him with more questions. And his stomach hurt from overeating. Marching slowly up the steps, Ryoko floated beside him, grinning widely.

"Aww, come on, Tenchi. Admit it. You didn't think Aeka would be as aggressive as I usually am," Ryoko said, proudly.

"Do you think of me as a sex toy or something?" Tenchi asked, frowning at her. "Ever since Aeka allowed you to have me all to yourself, that's really all that has been on your mind, every single night."

Ryoko stopped, her face completely full of shock while her jaw hung open in complete surprise. Unable to come up with an immediate response, she stood there, dumbfounded, feeling a cascade of emotions roaring through her mind.

"Not that I don't enjoy it, but EVERY NIGHT? Nobody does that. And you continually fondle me in front of everybody. Why do you keep doing that? I don't want a relationship based solely on sex!" Tenchi said, glaring at her. "I do love you, very much, but I'm getting a very irritating feeling that you enjoy the sex more than being with me."

"That's not true!" Ryoko said, looking very hurt and upset. "How could you even think that?"

Sighing to himself, he continued to look at Ryoko, not showing any sign of weakness or second thought. "Think about it, Ryoko. I'm the very first guy who loved you as a woman, and not as a plaything. Remember what Kagato used to do to you?" he asked, looking at her wince in emotional pain. "You didn't enjoy that because there was no love in it. But I'm starting to feel like I'm Kagato, to a point. Every single night, you've done something to get me to make love to you, and I've never been able to figure out why. I always felt that being in a relationship meant more than just having sex. I want it to be more along the lines of making love, and I'm not feeling that."

Backing off several paces, she looked absolutely horrified at his revelation. Shaking her head viciously, she tried to keep herself from becoming too upset. "No, Tenchi. You are someone I've fallen in love with, and will always love until the day I die. I told you, so many times, why I love you, and why I want to stay with you forever. Why do you feel the way you do now?"

"That's what I'm asking you," Tenchi retorted. "Why do you insist on making love every night?"

"I…" she began, looking into his eyes, but after she saw only anger in them, she hung her head. "I'm afraid, Tenchi."

Looking surprised, Tenchi let his guard down for a few moments. "What? Why?"

"I'm… so afraid that one day, all of this will come to an end," she began, but hesitated.

"Huh?" Tenchi said, confused. "Why do you think this will come to an end?"

"I've had a bad feeling for a very long time, Tenchi. It's one that I've felt since the Doctor Clay incident. I never said anything about it because I didn't want to worry anyone, but the feeling has been getting stronger, and it became really overwhelming when Zorpheus arrived. But after the fight, the feeling sort of went away. It doesn't make any sense, but I felt that I was very close to losing you, and I'd just die if I did," she explained, keeping herself calm and under control. "I make love to you every night to cherish every waking moment I have with you, Tenchi. Because one day, I feel that it will all be taken away, but I don't know when, and I don't know how."

"I don't understand, Ryoko. Why do you feel like that?" Tenchi asked, coming over and trying to take a hold of her arm. However, she shied away from him, shaking her head.

"Tenchi, I'm serious. Something is just not right, and I think your grandfather knows about it too," she said, looking very frightened. "Haven't you noticed how he has made you train so much harder over the past week?"

"Yes, I know, but I don't ask questions. Grandpa always has some hidden agenda that he usually doesn't tell me."

Ryoko shook her head, very concerned. "There is something coming, Tenchi. I don't know what it is, but I know it has an evilness about it that I've never felt before. I don't know what it is or how to explain it, but it's scaring the hell out of me."

"You're just being paranoid," Tenchi said, now smiling. "Just relax. I'm sorry I got upset at you. I love you, and I mean it."

She looked at him with her eyes full of hope and admiration, but it didn't last and it faded back into the overwhelming fear that had been plaguing her for a couple years now.

Tenchi looked at her, and for some reason, he saw that look on her before, but he couldn't place it. Studying her expression, it came to him. "I know that look," he said, quietly. "You had that same look on your face when Doctor Clay arrived. Is he connected to this in some way?" he asked, looking into her eyes.

"I… don't know," she said, looking away. "It wasn't him that gave me the feeling, but I think it started when Zero was merged with me. I acquired all of her memories, except for one."

"Which one?" Tenchi asked, concerned.

"All I know is a name. Lady Tokimi."

"Tenchi! Boy!" came a voice from on top of the hill. "Hurry up! You're late!"

Tenchi smiled warmly, and gently hugged Ryoko, rubbing her back. "It's okay. It's probably nothing, so don't worry about it," he said, giving her a tender squeeze. "Let's go practice. That'll help take your mind off of it," he added, trying to pull away, but he found that Ryoko was holding onto him more tightly than usual, as if it were the last time she'd hold him, forever. "Ryoko?"

"Just let me hold you for another minute," she whispered, feeling a little better, but unable to shake that nagging feeling.

Tenchi sighed and looked toward the top of the hill, seeing the wizened man standing there, waiting for him. He put up his hand to signal that he knew he was there, and that he'd be there in a few moments. Watching his grandfather walk off into the forest, he continued to hold his fiancée, and feeling the love emanating from her like a radiant blaze of fire.

"I love you, Tenchi," Ryoko whispered, turning her head to kiss him on the cheek. "I will always love you and I will always be with you, no matter what."

Tenchi chuckled quietly, and turned his head to face her, gently resting his lips on hers. Breaking the kiss a moment later, he smiled. "I love you too, Ryoko. Now, and forever."

Silently, they separated, and slowly made their way up the hill to the training grounds.

Glancing at her curiously, Tenchi scratched the back of his head. "I'm… sorry about what I said earlier," he admitted, sheepishly. "I had no idea you felt like that, and I have to admit, it was starting to feel weird."

Ryoko looked at him and smiled. "It's okay, Tenchi. But now you know how I feel, so it shouldn't feel so weird anymore, right?"

"Well, if you wouldn't mind, why don't we try to cut back on it a little? It would give it more meaning in that case."

"More meaning?" she asked, confused.

"We'll cherish the moment even more when we don't do it as frequently," Tenchi explained. "The last thing I want to do is wear it out."

Looking forward, as she floated beside Tenchi, ascending the mountain together, she shrugged her shoulders. "If that's what you want, Tenchi."

"Hey, come on. It's not like we won't be doing it ever again," Tenchi said, looking down the pathway to his training ground, but he stopped moving forward. "It's just that we won't be doing it as often. It wears me out at night."

"Not me," Ryoko said, looking dejected.

Tenchi chuckled. "I know. But anyway, I'm surprised Aeka got her way with Russ," he said, starting down the pathway to where his grandfather was waiting for him.

Ryoko grinned. "I knew she would. I could almost smell it from her whenever I got near her."

Looking at her curiously, Tenchi shrugged his shoulders. "I never smelled anything. Must be something that you can sense."

"Maybe, but Aeka and Russ sure did seem a lot different today, didn't they?"

"Now that you mention it, yes," Tenchi agreed. "They seemed more comfortable with each other and showing signs of affection between each other."

"It's about time," Katsuhito growled, watching both Tenchi and Ryoko emerge from the forest. "You're very late. What's your excuse?"

"Sorry, grandpa. I have no excuses," Tenchi said, looking straight into his grandfather's amethyst eyes.

Looking at him intensely, Katsuhito produced two bokken from behind his back, and he tossed one to Tenchi, watching him catch the blade easily. Tenchi swung the blade around him a few times, getting used to the feel again, and he took up his favorite stance, ready to begin the training.

"Do good, Tenchi!" Ryoko called, as she sat down on Katsuhito's boulder.

Not even flinching, Tenchi's gaze remained locked on his grandpa's visage, patiently waiting for him to make the first move.

Continuing to look at him, Katsuhito did something completely unexpected.

"Tenchi?" he began.

His eyes widening for a moment, he remained still, waiting for a sneak attack. "Hmmm?"

"You… know something," he muttered, lowering his sword.

Now completely baffled as to the wild change in behavior toward his grandfather, Tenchi responded by lowering his sword as well. "What do I know?"

"Tenchi, have you ever wondered why you train with a sword?" he asked, looking dead serious, and very intimidating.

"Sometimes. I just take it as a way of life," Tenchi responded, confused. "Why?"

"There is a reason you train, Tenchi," he told him, letting the sunlight reflect off of his glasses. "I will soon reveal the entire reason of your training, and even your existence."

"Stop talking in riddles, grandpa," Tenchi growled, raising his sword again. "What are you getting at?"

"You will find out soon enough," he said, raising his own bokken, ready to fight. "Defend yourself!"

Watching Katsuhito come at him with an intenseness Tenchi had never seen before, except when he fought Kagato, Tenchi put up his sword and prepared to go all out against his grandfather. Somehow, today, he knew that he was going to be in for a major beating.

"So, what was the outcome of everything, Zorph?"

Standing on the bridge with Tom, Zorpheus looked out beyond the hull of the Star Destroyer at the blue planet below him, a large grin on his lips.

"It couldn't have been better. It was awesome," he answered.

"Seriously? Russ and Aeka are now a thing?"

Nodding his head, Zorpheus stood up proudly. "After I beat it into him," he chuckled.

"No doubt," Tom replied, shaking his head. "That's wonderful. I'm sure Russ is going to be a lot happier now with someone like her at his side."

"Yeah. So, how have things been with ya, man? I haven't been around in a long time and I can see that you finally got this behemoth operational. It's pretty cool to cruise around in something out of Starwars," Zorpheus said, glancing at Tom. "I'm surprised you went this far. Russ and I are fanboys of a lot of things, but this one takes the taco."

Letting an amused smirk onto his lips, Tom chuckled quietly. "Things have been very well, thanks. And yes, this ship finally has most of the bugs worked out of it. The people onboard are very good at what they do, and they do the work without a second thought. It's almost like a dreamscape in comparison to what we're used to on other planets. No money and all that is expected of you is a thirty-hour workweek, unless something needs to be crunched. Everybody is happy and satisfied onboard, at least, as far as I can tell. Nobody really complains about too much work and nobody complains about boredom, plus we get to cruise the galaxy and see a variety of new things. Everything is provided for the crew, and it's almost like paradise."

Zorpheus shook his head, grinning. "You're nuts. I still can't believe all of this, but it's cool. I'm very happy that everything has worked out for you and your crew. So, how about giving me a tour of this thing?" he asked, turning completely toward Tom, who was still seated in the captain's chair.

Shrugging his shoulders, Tom got up and stretched a moment, letting out a contented groan. "Sure, why not. I usually go around the whole ship several times a day to make sure everything is progressing smoothly. I really don't have a lot to do since most everybody knows what to do, and they do it without question," he explained, stepping into the lift, followed by Zorpheus. "When we arrived, there was a little bit of damage from components overloading from the added stress of traveling so fast, but the crew took care of the problem and made sure that these particular mishaps wouldn't reoccur."

"Sounds like you've got a great crew," Zorpheus said, watching Tom press a button on the wall.

"Deck two," he commanded, and then grinned.

"Voice activation. Sweet. So tell me, where have you been to lately? Me, I've been all over the place, mainly researching the Dragonballs. I've been in stasis sleep for too long and it gets irritating to travel from one end of the galaxy to the other in such a cramped little pod. Not to mention all the times I've wanted to kill the onboard computer," he complained. "But the fighter you gave me will be much nicer, and I can get from one end of the galaxy to the other in no time. I really appreciate you going to all the trouble to create the thing."

"No problem," he answered, grinning, feeling the lift come to a halt and watching the doors open. "Come on, I'll show you the holodeck and the game room." Stepping out of the lift, he made his way into a busy corridor, surrounded in computer consoles. Up on the ceiling, several warning lights hung down, looking remarkably like railroad lights. Several feet further, two turrets were mounted to the ceiling, currently powered down. Several aliens were hustling about, taking care of whatever business they had going for themselves, but each of them stopped, saluted Tom, acknowledged Zorpheus, and then hurried on their way.

"This is freaking COOL! You have turbolasers on the inside of the ship too?" he asked, pointing at the turrets.

Tom nodded. "Yes. They're fully automated and will target anyone who isn't registered onboard this ship if I set the alarm to red alert status. They arm themselves and remain silent until it's too late. Then they open fire and paste whatever was in its sights. I figured that someone might try to board this ship at some point in time, so I took the necessary precautions. There is also a turbolaser in every room, just in case they figure they can avoid them by crawling into someone's quarters," he explained. "They also have a stun setting, so if a spy gets onboard, I can have the turrets stun him so we can collect him later, for interrogation."

"You went overboard, dude," Zorpheus said, admiring all the computer systems. "I'm curious though, what levels of alert status do you have, anyway?"

"Three levels, actually," Tom said, pointing to the hanging lights. "Those flash back and forth in either red, yellow, or blue, depending on what status I set the ship to. Red alert is obvious, which usually occurs when we're under attack, or preparing for an attack, and we need everybody at the exterior turrets. Yellow alert is a precautionary measure, usually when we go in somewhere, but want everybody to be prepared in case something does happen. Blue alert was really intended for landing on a planet."

"Sounds like you took the alarm system straight out of Startrek," Zorpheus said, grinning. "You did, didn't you?"

"Guilty as charged," Tom answered, stopping in front of the holodeck doors. "Come on in here. I think you'll like this place."

"Ahhh! You have a holodeck?! Oh my god, this is radical! What can I do in here?" he said, looking at the yellow gridlines on the floor, walls, and ceiling.

"Nearly anything. Russ has used it once or twice to train against anime characters," Tom said, trying to keep from laughing. "He put himself up against Lina Inverse and Gourry from The Slayers, Lime, Cherry, and Bloodberry from Saber Marionette J, Ryoko from Real Bout High School, Vaughn from Escaflowne, Ranma, Ryoga, Akane, Moose, Shampoo, Cologne and Happosai from Ranma ½, and many others. He usually goes against the main character while everybody else watches, drawing oooh's and ahhh's from everyone who watches him. He finds it fun to just stomp a mudhole into each of them without putting in any effort. It's funny to watch sometimes."

Zorpheus smiled and shook his head. "That's Russ, alright. He loves playing the hero, but sometimes he likes playing the bad guy too. Can we test this out?"

"Sure. What would you like to do?" Tom asked, folding his arms over his massive chest.

Closing his eyes a moment, Zorpheus considered his options. After a moment, his eyes opened slowly while a sinister grin crept onto his lips. "I want to meet Belldandy," he requested, watching Tom raise his eyebrow.

"From Oh My Goddess, right? Sure, we can do that. Is there any special circumstance that you'd like to have set up for them?" he said.

"Well, lets see," Zorpheus mumbled, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "I'd like to be a hero in this one. Make Belldandy and her sisters' fight against a very powerful enemy. I know Belldandy has enough power to destroy a planet, but I don't believe she has much more power than that. Frankly, in comparison to both Russ and myself, she's a pushover."

"Anybody, in comparison to you two, is a pushover," Tom sneered, glaring at Zorpheus. "I assume you want Keiichi in it too?"

Zorpheus nodded, satisfied. "Yeah, put him in it somewhere. He won't be doing anything, though. Anyway, I'll jump in when I think they've given up, or after they've been beaten down. I can't wait to see the looks on their faces when I step in front of them and totally blow away their enemy."

"That's exactly what Russ looks for. I guess it fuels his ego or something," Tom mumbled, shaking his head. Moving over to a control panel, he keyed in all the parameters of the battleground, the characters, and the enemy.

"So how is this going to work?"

Tom looked up from the controls at Zorpheus. "Well, the safety will be on, but I can turn it off if you want. The thing that worries me is having you accidentally blow a hole in the wall with a beam of yours," he said, concerned.

"If the actual attacks are nothing more than a lightshow, then there will be no problem. My attack will simply disburse once it hits the exterior wall," Zorpheus explained, starting to loosen up for a round of exercise.

"Well, try to keep from firing beams. Are you ready?"

Nodding, Zorpheus stepped off toward one of the walls, and then turned. "I don't want them seeing me yet, so I'll stand over here."

"The cool thing about the holodeck is that you can literally walk a mile and never touch any of the walls. The scene moves with you, so you can be as close or as far away from the battle as you like."

"Sweet!" Zorpheus said, looking very excited. "C'mon, I want to try this thing."

"Switching unit on!!!" Tom roared, disappearing from view.

Instantly, Zorpheus stood next to a massive school building, labeled Nikomi Technical Institute. It was mid-day, and there were many people hustling about, but there were many of them running in terror away from the parking lot, where a man was floating in mid-air, unleashing fireballs at the hysterical people. Explosions rocked the ground as Zorpheus placed his hand against the building to steady himself, looking at everything in awe. Everything looked perfectly realistic and it felt real as well. The shockwaves from the explosions swept his hair back, and it made Zorpheus grin in amazement and thrill.

The detail of the man was incredible. He almost looked like the devil himself. Horns protruded from his skull and pointed skyward, and they were pitch black, but textured like scales. His blue cape billowed out behind him, and he had a goatee for facial hair. Muscles were apparent on him, but they were rather small. However, the demon appeared to be very powerful, as he effortlessly trashed the area around him. But, in Zorpheus's eyes, he was a pushover. He knew that if he released a ball of the same size, the entire city block would've been nothing more than a crater.

"This is just too frickin cool," he said to himself, seeing Belldandy run out of the school, followed closely by Keiichi. Feeling his jaw drop, he quickly shook his head, trying to concentrate on something else, but failing. "Aw man, she looks even better here than in the anime. I wonder if Tom can set up something more intimate with her."

A few moments later, both Skuld and Urd joined her, racing in on Urd's broomstick. They both landed next to Belldandy, and a moment later, all three of them changed into their combat clothing.

Wiping the drool from the bottom of his chin, Zorpheus continued to spy at them from the corner of the building. However, one pedestrian who was running away from the parking lot stopped and yelled at him to get away from the scene, but Zorpheus just glared at him and motioned for him to get away. Turning his attention back to the three girls, he saw them argue with the demon for a few moments, until the battle started.

Urd recited one of her famous spells, as the sky darkened and thunder rumbled in the forefront. A second later, a massive lightning bolt shot out of the clouds overhead, directly on target, but the bolt was stopped just inches above the demon's head, as he had put a shield up around himself. Her eyes widening in disbelief, she clenched her fists and prepared to go all out.

Belldandy summoned a large ball of energy in between her hands, and once it was ready, she flung it at the demon, who simply deflected the ball away, letting it fizzle out. Looking completely stunned and taken aback, she backpedaled toward Keiichi, who was cheering her on.

Skuld released nearly a dozen of her little bombs, all of which exploded on or near the demon, but once the smoke cleared, he remained unscathed, and he started laughing, taunting the goddesses further.

Continuing to watch the goddesses' futile attempts to harm the beast, Zorpheus began shaking with anticipation. "It is no wonder Russ loves this. The detail and everything else in here is so awesome."

The demon summoned up a large amount of power and released it at the three goddesses, but all three of them put up a massive barrier around themselves and strained to hold back the power of the beast. However, they wavered slightly, as they all concentrated on keeping themselves, and Keiichi, alive.

In the sky above, the clouds parted and began swirling around an opening, as a huge, white ball of energy exploded from the heavens, heading directly toward the demon. However, he saw it coming, and he discontinued his fight against the sisters, redirecting all of his power toward the ball, launched by Peorth back in Heaven. The ball stopped just above him, and everybody could see him straining against the awesome energy of the blast, but his face contorted into an incredible amount of rage as the ball changed direction and headed back out into space.

Belldandy, Urd, and Skuld all watched the spectacle in horror, as they slowly backed away from the demon, who looked worn out, but ready to continue.

Zorpheus watched Belldandy grab a hold of Keiichi, squeezing him tightly, and beginning to cry. Urd and Skuld looked very distraught, holding their staffs at the ready, but unsure as to what they were going to do.

Running out from behind the building and zanzokening in front of the group, Zorpheus looked up at the demon, who regarded him with a look of mixed contempt and surprise.

"And now it's my turn," he growled.

"Get away!" Belldandy yelled, surprised that a man had appeared in front of her. "You'll be killed!"

Turning around and getting a close-up of her, Zorpheus did his best to keep from ogling her and drooling. Recovering a moment later, he shook his head and grinned, flexing his arms around his t-shirt. "Not to worry, sweetie. I've got this one covered."

"Are you nuts!?" Urd yelled, amazed that someone didn't even seem to care that they, the goddesses of light and good, seemed to be defeated. "Who do you think you are?! Muscles or no muscles, you don't have the power needed to beat him!"

Grinning, Zorpheus raised his power to the point where his blue aura began to burn around him, and the looks on the three faces of the goddesses was more than enough to give him a tremendous ego boost. "My grandma could beat this guy. Just sit back and let the pro handle it."

"But, you're not a god!" Skuld yelled, as she started freaking out.

Zorpheus shook his head. "No, I'm not a god. I'm mortal, just like Keiichi there," he said, pointing his finger at the young man.

"How did you know my name?!" Keichi yelled, bewildered. "I've never seen you before in my life!"

"I know all four of you," Zorpheus said, grinning. "Belldandy, Urd, Skuld, and you, Keiichi. Let's just say I'm a fan. A very powerful, very sexy fan who's about to cook himself some Devil Ham." Turning around, he looked up at the demon, who was in the process of summoning a massive amount of energy.

"I don't know who you are or what you're doing here, but you're in my way. NOW DIE!" he yelled, releasing a huge, extremely powerful ball of energy toward the group, causing the ground to tremble in its wake.

Belldandy, Skuld, and Keiichi all screamed in terror, as Belldandy and Keichi latched onto each other and closed their eyes, waiting for the inevitable.

"I love you, Kei!" she screamed, letting the tears pour out of her eyes.

Zorpheus could hear the girls and Keiichi screaming behind him as he put his hand out in front, letting the blast slam into it. Surprisingly, it took quite a bit of strength to hold back the hologram, and Zorpheus slid back about a foot.

Wondering what had happened, Belldandy, Skuld, and Keiichi all opened their eyes and stared at the saiyan in astonishment, as he held the ball back with only one hand. Urd's eyes were wider than they had ever been.

"Impossible," Belldandy whispered, watching Zorpheus send the ball straight back at the demon, as if it were nothing. "That's impossible!"

"I don't believe it," Urd whispered, dumbfounded. "How can a mortal have that much power?"

Zorpheus disappeared from where he was standing, in the blink of an eye. All three girls and Keichi looked around for him, but heard the demon shout in surprise. As they looked up, they saw Zorpheus only a mere inch away from the beast, with a huge grin on his face. Clapping his hands together, he brought his fists over his head and swung them down on the top of the devil's head, sending him careening down to the ground, where he impacted, shaking the Earth and making a large crater.

"How…" Belldandy said, her face showing nothing but total astonishment, bewilderment, and surprise. "I don't understand this at all!"

"I don't either, sis, but at least he appears to be on our side. Almighty help us if he isn't," Urd said, never taking her eyes off of Zorpheus, who remained in the sky.

"What's going on here?" said a voice off to their side.

All three goddesses and Keiichi snapped their heads in the voices direction, and again, gasped in surprise. Standing there, dressed in a purple karate gi, was Russ. He had his arms folded over his chest while he watched what Zorpheus was doing.

"Who are you?" Belldandy asked, dumbfounded.

Turning his attention toward her, Russ smiled and nodded his head. "I'm Russ. It's a pleasure to meet you, Bell," he greeted.

"You know me too?" she asked, worried. "How is this possible?"

Russ continued to smile as he looked at her, Keiichi, Skuld, and Urd. "I'm sorry, but it's difficult to explain, so don't be concerned about it," he said, looking skyward. "Hey Zorph! What ARE you doing up there?"

Glancing downward, Zorpheus's face instantly turned red, as he returned to the ground, landing several feet in front of Russ. He scratched the back of his head and laughed, clearly embarrassed. "I'm hanging my laundry up to dry. What does it look like?" he answered.

"So I see. I take it Tom is giving you the grand tour, and your first stop was the holodeck, eh?"

"What's a holodeck?" Belldandy asked, listening in on their conversation. Skuld and Urd kept quiet, but couldn't help but admire their incredibly huge muscles. They didn't look anything like Tamiya or Otaki, as they were far more handsome and defined.

"It's a room where…" Zorpheus began to say, but Russ cupped his hand over his mouth, turned toward the girls, and then laughed.

"Just watch Startrek, and you'll know," Russ explained.

"What's Startrek?" she asked.

Zorpheus glared at Russ. "We all bow to you, Russ, god of the clueless, for voicing an answer the audience can all clearly understand," he proclaimed in a mock-fanfare.

"Oh, shut up," Russ returned, getting irritated. "Go finish your fight and then let's get out of here."

"YOU can go, but Tom has to finish giving me the tour," Zorpheus shot back, annoyed.

Russ shook his head. "Whatever. But that… whatever it is over there is getting back to his feet," Russ indicated, pointing at the devil.

"Ooops, forgot about him," Zorpheus said, placing his palm outward, getting ready to charge up a blast.

"Don't do that! You'll put a hole in the wall!" Russ hissed, watching the glow disappear.

Rolling his eyes, Zorpheus squatted down in a sprinting position, just as the monster got back to his feet. "Fine. I'll do it the boring way," he said, vanishing from sight. He reappeared in front of the demon and brought his glowing fist up straight into the demon's body, causing a huge explosion, which rocked the floor and rattled the walls. After the noise quieted down, he approached the group with a smug look on his face.

"Piece of cake," Zorpheus said, grinning at Belldandy. "I have to go, ladies, but I hope to see you again soon."

"Hey wait! Just who are you guys?" she asked, but it was too late. The entire area became wavy for a moment, and then faded back to the yellow gridlines.

"That was so god damned cool, Tom," Zorpheus said, smiling. "Is there a way for you to set up something rather… intimate with any character I want?"

"Oh gross," Russ said, rolling his eyes. "You want to screw a hologram now?"

"Why not?" he returned, letting a sly grin remain on his face. "She looks real, she's hot as hell, and it could be a hell of a lot of fun!"

"But… it's a hologram!" Russ objected, flustered.

"So what? Beats masturbating. Don't tell me you never thought about doing it."

"Uh, guys?" Tom said, standing nearby, looking annoyed. "Enough already. So, what brings you back, Russ?"

"I just came back up here to retrieve my fighter. That's all," he replied, watching Tom move over to them.

"Ahhh, okay. No problem, as long as you don't try running off again," Tom growled, glaring at Russ. "You caused a lot of…"

"I don't want to hear it, and I'm not going to run off," Russ interrupted. "I'm sorry all of that happened, but you did attack me first."

"And you KNOW why we attacked you," Tom replied.

Russ rolled his eyes, annoyed. "Whatever. I'm getting my fighter and going home. I'm probably going to have a long day tomorrow, especially when Aeka's father arrives. Ugh."

Tom watched Russ for a moment, and grinned. "Yeah. That guy is one of the most arrogant people I've ever seen. He barely paid any attention to either you or I while we were there that time for dinner. It's so hard to believe that HE's Aeka and Sasami's father."

"Tell me about it," Russ muttered, making his way toward the door. "And if I become more involved with Aeka, he's going to be my father in law!"

Both Zorpheus and Tom shuddered, as they followed him out of the holodeck, making their way to the hanger bay.

"I'll slap him around a little for ya, Russ," Zorpheus invited. "If he thinks he can separate you two, he's got another thing coming."

"It's better if you don't get involved, but thanks for the offer," Russ replied, looking straight ahead. "No need for you to make enemies out of one of mine."

"I already did that when I promised Aeka that I'd get rid of him for her," Zorpheus replied, quietly. "She seemed very upset that her father was coming, and being the nice guy that I am, I promised her that I'd help keep you two together."

Russ glanced over at Zorpheus, his face blank, but it slowly morphed into a happy smile. "Thanks man. That must've surprised her."

"I owe you a lot, especially after what I did last week," Zorpheus responded, shaking his head. "So don't worry about it. Besides, I want a chance to scare the crap out of him."

"And Tom, don't get involved either. At the moment, you're on pretty good terms with Jurai, and the last thing I'd want to see is for you to start a fight with them," Russ said, glancing back at Tom, who kept pace behind the two saiyans.

Tom kept himself quiet, crossed his fingers behind his back, and nodded his head, knowing full well that no matter what happened, he'd never abandon his friends in their time of need.

Aeka, sitting quietly outside of the Misaki home, rested comfortably on the porch, feeling the warm air wash over her skin, listening to the crickets chirp their nightly chorus, and breathing the fresh, mountain air, all of which filled her with a sense of peace. The moon shone down, illuminating the landscape in its pale radiance, outlining the tops of the trees that swayed gently in the breeze, rustling quietly. There wasn't a cloud in the sky, letting all the stars shine down upon her, captivating Aeka with their beauty. It was very quiet, aside from the rustling trees, and very serene.

Sighing softly to herself, Aeka let a small grin creep onto her lips as she wrapped her arms around her body, awaiting Russ's return. Allowing her mind to drift, she thought back to the night before, and almost instantly began to blush, completely overwhelmed by all the sensations she had felt, and wanted to feel again. Strangely enough, it was a little painful for her, but Russ was very careful and gentle, and it just made the whole experience wonderful. Smiling a little wider, she considered telling her father just so she could see the look on his face. She knew she was protected from him, as her trust in Russ was total, absolute, and unwavering. He was the only man for her, and she was one hundred percent certain of it.

Feeling another light gust of wind, she raised her face into it, taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly, feeling perfectly relaxed and carefree. The one thing she wished for, the one thing she wanted more than anything, and the one thing that almost seemed impossible, had finally come true, and it felt good. Bliss could only describe how she felt.

However, even though everything that had happened occurred in her favor, the one final obstacle would take place tomorrow, and she knew something bad was probably going to happen. Even though her father insisted he knew what was best for his daughter, she had a mind of her own as well, and she decided that it was time to do what she wanted. And she was bound and determined to let her father know that as well. Already knowing he was probably going to fly off the hook, she knew that both Russ and Zorpheus wouldn't let anything happen. There is no way that her father could tear her away from him. There was just absolutely, positively, no way in hell that he could take her away from him. But there was still that nagging feeling in the back of her mind.

Thinking back to Tenchi, she remembered how tired and worn out he looked over the past couple of days when he had come down to visit Russ and herself. There were a lot of times when he looked that way, but something was different about it during the past few days. He actually came in with a lot of bumps and bruises from his sword practice, and it made her wonder what her brother was doing to his grandson. She had asked him on one particular occasion when Tenchi looked really tired, but he just smiled and said not to worry about it, and to only worry about Russ. He then told her that his grandfather had really been hard on him during his last training session, and because of that, Ryoko, and the chores around the house, he just felt completely worn out and tired. But it was strange. He almost never came back with as many welts on him as he had been for the last couple of days. Was her brother training him for something?

Resting back on her hands, she debated on having a talk with her brother, but it was already late at night, and she just felt too comfortable to get up and go see him. Deciding to talk to him tomorrow about it, she closed her eyes, sighed softly, and looked up at the moon, thinking it looked like a ball of cheese. Giggling quietly to herself, she shook her head and took in another deep breath, letting it out in a tired, but contented yawn.

Hearing the door slide open behind her, Aeka didn't turn around, and a moment later, heard the door click shut again. Feeling the porch vibrate with each footstep, she turned her head to look at the intruder.

"Mind if I join you?" Ryoko asked, smiling down at her, her golden, feral eyes glistening brightly in the moonlight. She was dressed in a casual summer t-shirt, leaving her stomach exposed, with a pair of cut-off shorts. She looked extremely enticing and beautiful, not to mention sexy. Closing her eyes and smiling, she patiently waited for Aeka's response.

"I don't mind," she answered softly, looking away and toward the lake. Feeling the vibration of Ryoko sitting down next to her, she heard the pirate yawn and stretch herself, getting comfortable.

"Thanks. It was getting a little stuffy in there," Ryoko said, keeping her voice low, trying to keep the sense of tranquility and pureness around her.

"Mmmm…" Aeka moaned softly, not really interested. All that she wanted at the moment was to see Russ come swooping down from the clouds to take her in his arms again.

"Are you thinking about tomorrow?" Ryoko asked, noticing that Aeka was off in her own little world.

Aeka shook her head and smiled. "No, not really. I'm not worried about anything that could happen. Russ and Zorph will take care of everything."

"You're putting a lot of trust in Zorpheus, especially after what he did to you," Ryoko responded, looking toward the lake. "I don't think I'd ever trust him. I don't trust him now."

"I don't really trust him, but I believe in my little sisters judgment. That's why I kind of believe Zorpheus. He seems nice enough, anyway."

"He's arrogant and a jerk at times," Ryoko returned, narrowing her eyes at the moon. "But he's considerably different from Russ. They're like oil and water, but they get along very well. It's weird."

"Yeah," Aeka sighed. "They argue a lot over their opinions, but they always manage to agree on something. It's kind of like you and I."

"Well, they haven't blown the house up yet," Ryoko giggled, glancing over at the princess to see if she found it funny too.

"Maybe later." Again looking to the stars, she could feel her eyes getting heavy as she let out another yawn. "I should go in soon. I'm really tired tonight."

"The first time always wears you out," Ryoko said, grinning. "So how was it?"

Aeka glared at Ryoko and shook her head. "That's none of your business," she said, haughtily.

"Come on! You know you want to talk about it. And I also know you're waiting for him to come home so you can do it again."

"Ryokooooo!" Aeka growled, getting angry. "I'm not about to tell YOU or anybody else anything. It's none of your business."

Still grinning, Ryoko put up her hands submissively. "Okay, okay. Could you at least tell me if you enjoyed it or not?"

"What do YOU think?" she shot back, turning away just as her face began to blush.

"I bet it hurt a lot," Ryoko said, looking at the moon, admiring the tens of thousands of craters on the surface.

"No, not that much," she responded quietly, embarrassed.

"Really? My first time hurt like hell. I bled everywhere and it stung for a couple of days afterwards," Ryoko said, remembering the first time Kagato raped her. "Of course, that didn't stop him at all."

"I'm sorry for everything you went through, Ryoko, but that's your business."

"I don't mind talking about it now. At least I have someone to share it with," Ryoko said, smiling at Aeka.

Looking at her rival for a moment, she allowed herself to relax, and she too began to smile. "Thanks, Ryoko. I never imagined that we'd ever become friends."

"It had to happen sometime. Tenchi wouldn't have it any other way."

Letting her smile melt into a frown, Aeka thought about that for a moment. "So you're saying you're only nice to me to please Tenchi?"

Looking surprised, Ryoko shook her head. "Maybe at first, but once we got used to each other, it became a lot easier to like you. We both enjoy a lot of the same things and we have some stuff in common, so it's no surprise. I'd like to think of you as my one and only true friend, Aeka. You've been there for me during the last few years, even though we rarely saw eye to eye. I really cherish that."

"I… understand now," Aeka said, surprised at yet another revelation that Ryoko kept to herself. "Even though I still disagree with some of the ways you handle situations, I too enjoy your company, and I think of you as my friend."

"Same here."

Sitting quietly, both girls listened to the rustling of the leaves from the forest as the light breeze moved the air around them. It was almost eleven o'clock at night, and Russ had been gone for quite a while already. Patiently awaiting his return, Aeka sighed to herself, feeling lonely and apart from him.

"Russ must've been pretty good," Ryoko began, grinning. "You can't wait to go at it again, can't you?"

"Would you cut that out?" Aeka said, mildly annoyed. "What I do with him is none…"

"Of my business," Ryoko finished for Aeka. "Yeah, yeah, I know. But you've been sitting out here for the past half hour looking at the sky and sighing to yourself every minute. You'd think he was gone for a week," Ryoko teased.

"Look who's talking. You barely left Tenchi alone for five minutes a day for a very long time," Aeka retorted. "You couldn't stand to be apart from him, and I'm no different."

Ryoko smiled. "I know. I'm happy for you, Aeka. He's a perfect match for you."

Now smiling herself, Aeka looked over at Ryoko, and nodded her head. "Yes. He's absolutely perfect. If he weren't, I would've never fallen for him. And he didn't even have to try. I was his almost at first sight. Originally, it was because I was alone and desperate, but now, it's because I sincerely love him. I'm glad he came into our lives."

"Do you think you would ever be unhappy, Aeka? Do you ever worry about him?"

"I really haven't thought about that. Why should I, really? I do expect there to be bumps in our lives, but I believe we'll work it out together. That's part of being in a relationship. When you accept someone, you accept both their good and their bad. And I'm willing to spend the rest of my life with him, and that's all that matters to me. And as far as worrying about him… why would I worry about the universe's strongest man? He can take care of himself and me. I don't question it, and I never will."

Looking at her in amazement, Ryoko smiled and shook her head. "I almost envy you, Aeka. Almost. Tenchi is someone who I've obsessed over ever since I laid eyes on him, and I too expect there to be rough weather ahead for the two of us, but I believe we'll stick it out together. I will stay with him until I die, and I mean that."

"Same here."

Both girls fell silent and turned their attention to their surroundings once again, feeling at peace with themselves. Yawning in tandem, they turned toward each other and giggled, feeling very happy and contented.

"Life is good," Ryoko said, quietly, taking in a deep breath and letting it out slowly, relishing the excellent weather.

"Yes," Aeka said, glancing over at her once rival. "Yes."

Both girls looked skyward at the millions of stars that twinkled before them, and admiring the sheer vastness of the universe.

"Hey, look there," Ryoko said, pointing at two stars that appeared to be moving slightly.

"That must be Russ and Zorpheus," Aeka said, leaning back to get a better view. "It's about time. He kept me waiting far too long."

"Down, Aeka. He'll be here very soon, and then you can do this and that up in his room," Ryoko teased again, watching Aeka's face go to pure shock, until she started laughing in good humor.

"Enough, Ryoko. I'm not a little girl anymore. Frankly, I can't wait to tell my father what I did. He's going to explode."

"I don't think your mom or Aunt Funaho would approve very much either," Ryoko reminded her.

"Actually, I think they'll be thrilled. According to Jurai Tradition, once we've selected whom we want to be with, we are free to do as we please with them, even if we haven't officially been married yet. The marriage thing is just a formality."

"Seriously?" Ryoko said, stunned.

Letting a sly grin on her face, she shook her head. "No. In reality, the Princess is supposed to remain untainted and untouched until the day after she has been married. I just broke sacred law and if my parents ever found out, especially my father, I'd probably be exiled. But you know what? I couldn't care less at this point. I'm happy here and frankly, I don't want to rule the empire my parents have built. I want to live a simple life with Russ, as I love the way my life has been for the past several years that I've been here. I don't want to have to deal with the stress that my parents do. I want to live a carefree life with the man I love."

Ryoko sat in amazement, completely blown away. "You really surprise me, Aeka. When you first arrived, you held onto your Jurian traditions as if nothing else mattered. And now you just threw it out the window last night. What made you do that?"

"A combination of things, but mainly Russ. He's incredibly handsome, kind, and gentle, and I wanted to make love to him since Christmas, especially after he had done what he did for all of us. Tradition kept telling me that I was making a huge mistake, but after the way my father disapproved over my two personal choices, I decided that I was going to do what I wanted for once. I'm young and I look at what other people have done because of their freedom of choice, and most of them are very happy, but while I was on Jurai, I wasn't happy. I was tired and depressed because of all the rubbish my father was putting me through, like sending me to those marriage meetings. I hated those things. It was going door to door and shopping for a husband, and picking the one I liked. But the thing was, I never expected someone to actually find me. But the strangest thing was neither person wanted to become involved. I guess that is what intrigued me."

"Those guys you saw during the marriage meetings all wanted to become your bride, and they could've offered you so much more. Did you ever believe that any one of them was being sincere with their offerings?" Ryoko asked, curious.

"No. They all felt fake and scripted, as if they planned out everything they were going to say and do. It was boring and irritating. None of them presented any kind of challenge. But when Russ arrived and said he wasn't interested, I couldn't help but feel surprised. I was almost used to people lusting after me, and when he didn't do that, it piqued my interest in him, and the same thing had happened with Tenchi. But everything that they did had come from their own hearts and their own minds, and they didn't put up any kind of front to fool me, and that's what made me interested in the both of them."

"It was Tenchi's kindness that lured me to him, hook, line, and sinker. It was something that I had almost never experienced, and he was the first to show me true friendship. It was all that I needed. It sounds so simple, but it was the only quality I had looked for. Plus he isn't all that bad looking. I'm kind of surprised you went for such a beefcake," Ryoko added, snickering.

Smiling contentedly, Aeka looked up at the stars again, seeing two extremely bright ones directly overhead. "Looks like they're almost home," Aeka said, pointing skyward.

"Yeah. I can't hear them yet, but we will soon enough. But seriously, Aeka, I really hope everything works out tomorrow for you. I'm there for you if anything should go wrong."

"I know. Thank you, Ryoko. Zorpheus had said the same thing, and it makes me feel very good to know I have the best of friends," Aeka said, softly.

"Anytime, Aeka," Ryoko said, faintly hearing the roar of both fighters hurtling through the atmosphere. "I can hear them now. I think it's going to get quite loud down here in a couple minutes. But anyway," she said, standing up and stretching. "I'm glad we talked. I'm going to go in and flirt with my Tenchi. See you tomorrow, Aeka."

"Goodnight, Ryoko," Aeka said, nodding, and giving her a warm smile. "See you tomorrow."

Ryoko nodded her head, slid the door back, and after she walked through it, let the door close behind her. Aeka could just barely make out the thumping of her feet as she walked inside, until it faded away altogether.

Sitting back on her hands, she patiently waited for Russ and Zorpheus to make their landing.

"Whew. It sure feels hot in here," Russ mumbled to himself, awake after a very restful night of peaceful slumber. Somehow, he had managed to talk Aeka into staying in her room with Sasami for the night, as he complained he felt very tired and just wanted to do nothing except sleep. The sun was now shining in his face as he squinted at the brightness, feeling extraordinarily warm. Trying to sit up, he felt a weight pressing down on his chest, preventing him from moving.

"What the heck?" he muttered incoherently, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Looking down on himself, focusing his eyes, he couldn't help but stare in amazement. Lying on his chest, looking very comfortable and curled up into a ball next to him, Aeka was sleeping soundly, her hair draped over the side of the bed, dressed in her nightgown.

Looking at her for another minute, a slow smile crept onto his face as he lay back down on his pillow, shaking his head. "Well, that explains why I'm boiling over," he whispered to himself. Reaching down, he rested his hand on her back and gently rubbed around her shoulders, caressing her awake. After a few minutes, she finally stirred and stretched herself out, groaning quietly, letting her amethyst eyes open slowly, and allowing a smile onto her lips.

"Good morning, sleepyhead," she said, scooting up toward the pillow and resting her head on his shoulder. Leaning over a little further, she kissed him on his cheek. "How are you feeling this morning?"

"Hot," he answered, grinning. "In more ways than one."

"Oh?" she said, feeling satisfied. "Is that so?"

"Oh yeahhhhh."

Giggling quietly, she gently rubbed her hand over his broad chest, feeling the bumps of the many muscles that protruded from his abs and chest, and feeling the intense heat radiating from him. "You really are hot."

"Yeah. I'm almost starting to sweat under here. I'm going to get up and take a shower. That should cool me off a bit," Russ said, hoping that she'd get up, but to his dismay, she remained where she was, watching him with her beautiful eyes and smiling that gorgeous smile of hers. "Um… Aeka?"

"Hmmm?" she answered, pretending not to take the hint.

"Well… ya know… I kind of have to get up to take a shower," he said uneasily, feeling hotter by the minute.

"So?"

"Um, well, you're laying on me, and I can't get up with you laying on me," he whined, looking desperate. "I'm frying here."

Aeka started moving, but she crawled on top of him instead, putting her face directly in front of Russ's, as she grinned even wider. "Why do you want to get up?"

Feeling a rush of excitement, Russ tired his best to tone himself down, but he was having a hard time doing so with a woman as wonderful as her laying on him. But remembering his main mission, he grinned. "I want to take a shower so I don't stink for my lady," he answered, smiling slyly.

"You don't stink," Aeka answered, working herself in between Russ's legs, squirming from side to side, doing her best to get him in the mood. "But I think I know what else you'd like to do."

Feeling his jaw drop, Russ looked at her, flabbergasted, unsure of what he should do. Of course, he knew what he wanted to do, but it was so early and it was so soon and it was just so… so… exciting. "We should really hold off on this for a while longer," Russ objected, watching Aeka's face become riddled with disappointment. Grimacing a moment later, he reopened his eyes and kissed her. "It's not that we won't do it again, but it just feels…"

"Oh, shut up," Aeka said, pressing his arms to the bed and kissing him forcefully. "We'll have something that the Earthlings call, 'a quickie,' okay?"

"Oh good grief," Russ said, trying to keep himself from laughing. "I've created a monster."

"Who's a monster?" she returned, lifting her body off of Russ, kissing him on his neck, taking his skin within her teeth, then biting down gently, feeling Russ's breath quicken for a moment. "Oooh, I think you liked that," she whispered.

Feeling his body shudder for a moment, he caught his breath, and then began worrying once again. "With my luck, what will happen now is someone will either knock on the door, or drop from the roof to peep, or we'll just have Ryoko or Ryo-Ohki phase through the door to catch us in the act," Russ said, looking worried.

"Makes it more exciting, don't you think?" Aeka said, grinning, the fires of passion burning within her eyes and her heart.

"You're bad," Russ teased, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her close. "Alright, but then I have to take a shower."

"I knew you'd see it my way," Aeka said, descending toward him. "After this, we'll take a bath."

"Oh no you don't," Russ said, looking extremely concerned. "I'm not setting foot…"

"Yes you are," she interrupted, taking it in stride. "You don't want to make me upset now, do you? Especially with my parents arriving today?"

"You're so manipulative," he said, grinning, and sighing in defeat. "You win."

"Of course."

The low rumble of the Emperor's personal cruiser resonated throughout the main hall, on its final approach to Earth. Having already passed Mars, it was only a matter of time before he'd arrive to retrieve his two daughters. An entire fleet of tree ships accompanied his cruiser, flying in perfect, geometric formation. Each warship was ready for battle if necessary, but for the most part, they were there just for intimidation only.

Asuza sat on his throne, flanked on either side by his wives, as he overlooked the massive grounds below him. The enormous spaceship tree stretched hundreds of meters over his head, rooted into the base of the ship, which was also surrounded by clear, pure Jurian water. The babbling of the miniature river sounded very relaxing, but unfortunately, Asuza had become used to it, and had it since then lost its effect.

"Now on final approach to Planet Earth," a voice echoed, reverberating around the entire ship. Nearly every person onboard had stopped to look out the huge windows at the immense, blue sphere of Terra. Clouds could be seen everywhere in the atmosphere, and somewhere in the Atlantic Ocean, they could see a hurricane approaching Florida. But for those who lived on a beautiful planet such as Jurai, the people stood still for a moment, watching the Earth in awe since it had a beauty all its own, tinted in hundreds of thousands of hues of green, blue, white, gray, and other colors. The line of darkness and light was barely visible, as it was in the distant East of the planet.

Standing up silently, the Emperor slowly began making his way down the pedestal steps, heading toward the front of the ship. Both of his wives looked at each other nervously, but they too, got to their feet and followed the emperor, keeping silent. Misaki was having a hard time containing her excitement, as it was time to see her two daughters once again. Funaho was much more calm, but concerned over what may transpire down on the surface.

Stepping over to the transporter room, the three of them were engulfed in brilliant, emerald light as they vanished from within the ship and were transported to the surface of Earth.

Sitting in the shadows, Tom and his crew kept a close eye on the hundreds of vessels, watching, and waiting for when, and if, they'd be needed.

"NOT AGAIN!" Zorpheus roared, crushing something his hands. "Ahhh sh… uh… I can't believe this!"

Sitting next to him and giggling uncontrollably, Sasami watched Zorpheus take out his frustrations on the playstation controller.

Glaring at her, Zorpheus stuck out his tongue. "You're so darn cheap."

Again, Sasami burst out in a fit of the giggles, tickled to death that she beat Zorpheus for the tenth time in a row at Capcom vs SNK. "I'm sorry, Zorph. I just play this game a lot is all."

"Well, I do too, and I usually don't get wasted this badly. Usually I only get my butt kicked by Russ at Mortal Kombat!" Zorpheus complained, still flustered. "ONE MORE TIME!"

"You want to lose again?" Sasami taunted.

"I won't lose this time. Gimme another playstation controller and I'll show you cheap!"

Sitting across the room, Tenchi and Ryoko watched the two play their game on the TV, smiling that Sasami had found another friend in Zorpheus. However, be that as it may, they wished that there were someone Sasami's age to play with aside from Ryo-Ohki.

Sighing quietly, Ryoko looked over at Tenchi and smiled, contented to be near him. For what seemed like the first time in their lives, Tenchi didn't have anything to do for today, and basically had the entire day off, and was willing to spend it with her. Leaning against him gently and taking his hand in hers, she closed her eyes and laid her head on his shoulder, feeling safe and sound.

Glancing down at her, Tenchi chuckled quietly, watching her smile grow from his own amusement. He had a few things planned out for today, but the thought of Aeka and Sasami's parents arriving was enough to make him worry. Feeling really bad for Aeka, Tenchi shook his head, wondering why she had to have it so rough. Even though he was of noble blood like her, he had absolutely no responsibility to the Jurian Empire, but he remembered everything that Aeka told him. She explained what was supposed to be done as the first princess, and what would've been expected of him had he been the prince. Shuddering at the thought, Ryoko lifted her head and looked him in the eyes, a worried expression on her visage.

"Tenchi?" Ryoko whispered. "Please don't worry. Aeka's parents have nothing to do with you this time."

"I know," he sighed. "But I just can't help but feel sorry for Aeka. She's been though so much and it still isn't over for her. She'd had a rough life, but the public would never know that. They have a façade that they hide behind and it keeps their private lives to themselves. But Aeka's life has been drug through hell and high water."

Ryoko looked away and toward the stairs, trying to control the building anger that she felt toward Aeka's parents, but in particular, her father. Her mother and Funaho were casual and calm enough, even though they were a little weird, but they paid more attention to their daughter's feelings more so than he ever did. Living a live as she has, she never had any obligations, and never had to take heed of anybody's advice if she didn't want to. There was never anybody around to tell her what was best for her or guide her in the right direction, and the thought of being bossed around sickened her. The only person she vowed she'd ever listen to, without a second thought, was Tenchi.

The sound of a door opening nearby caught Ryoko and Tenchi's attention as Washu stepped out of her lab, a frown on her face. Closing the door behind her, she looked at the couple at the table and nodded once.

"Good morning, Washu," Tenchi said, trying to smile. "How are you doing?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Washu just had kind of a nonchalant appearance about her. "I'm kind of in a blah mood. I'm in one of those weird moods where I'm bored, but I have things to do, but I don't want to do them. I'm hungry, but I'm not at the same time. I guess I'm kind of annoyed too."

"How come?" Tenchi asked, curious. This was the first time he had ever seen her agitated in such a way.

"Frankly, I've had enough stress in the past week to last a lifetime, and now Aeka's parents will be here in about ten seconds to add to it all," she complained. "I've had enough of this crap."

"Are you serious?" Ryoko asked. "Aeka's parents are already here?"

Washu nodded. "The fleet is parked behind the moon to avoid detection by the people. They should be teleporting down here in a few minutes."

"Wonderful. I'm in the mood to break someone's nose," Zorpheus muttered, eavesdropping from his position in front of the TV. "If I'm not mistaken, I can sense them approaching the front door. Heh. I wonder what kind of reaction they'd get if I were the one to answer it."

A few moments later, the doorbell rang, causing silence to fall over the group in the living room. Everybody stayed in place for a moment, unsure as to who was going to volunteer to answer the door.

Finally gathering up the nerve, Sasami got to her feet. "I'll go answer it. Zorpheus, I'd go hide yourself for a little bit. I think a huge fight would break out if they saw you sitting in here."

"Good idea," Zorpheus muttered, getting to his feet. "I'll go stash myself in Russ's room or something and come out with him."

Tenchi, Ryoko, and Washu remained silent as they watched Sasami head toward the door and saw Zorpheus head up the steps to Russ's room, all the while feeling their anxiety build.

"Keep your fingers crossed that nothing happens," Tenchi said, concerned.

"How come you say that, Tenchi? How does crossing your fingers keep things from going bad?" Ryoko asked, confused. "You've said that a couple of times but I never knew what it meant."

"It's just an expression that symbolizes a hope for everything to go the way you're hoping for," Tenchi explained, trying to smile.

"Oh. I still don't get it, but…" she said, crossing her fingers on both hands. "I hope this works."

Tenchi could help but chuckle at her innocence, as he heard Sasami open the door and get glomped by her mother. A moment later, he heard the door slide open above him as Zorpheus went to go into Russ's room, but it slammed shut a nanosecond later, followed up by a muffled obscenity, and quickly amended by an 'I'm sorry' about fifteen times

"What the heck just happened up there?" Ryoko muttered, hearing Zorpheus groan, then start laughing.

"I have no idea," Tenchi said, looking up at the landing.

A moment later, Zorpheus's head appeared over the ledge, a large grin on his face. "Well, that was REALLY bad timing. Russ and Aeka are screwing each other's brains out."

Nobuyuki, who was seated on the couch, practically invisible up to this point, perked up. "I'll go get my camera!"

"DAD! That is a VERY bad idea, especially considering who's on the other side of that door!" Tenchi hissed, fear and annoyance flooding his eyes.

"As long as they don't see me, it'll be fine," Nobuyuki said, heading upstairs. However, Tenchi leapt up from the table and grabbed his father halfway up the staircase.

"You're NOT taking pictures, and that's final!"

"Let go of me, Tenchi," Nobuyuki growled, trying to muscle his way up the steps. "It's a beautiful thing and they'd probably want me to take pictures, especially if it's their first time."

"It's NOT their first time, so forget about it!" Tenchi shot back.

"Actually, I wouldn't go in there if I were you," Zorpheus said, his face contorted into a look of amusement. "It was kinda nasty in there, actually. Who would've thought Russ had it in him? I would've sworn he was castrated."

"Would've sworn who was castrated?" a voice asked from below him.

Zorpheus stepped back from the ledge, concern on his face as he mouthed, "Distract them!" as he quickly and quietly went into Aeka's room. Tenchi, his father, and everybody else froze as Misaki walked in, a huge smile on her face. Sasami was right behind her, a large sweatdrop on the side of her head. Funaho was right behind her, but she looked a little miffed at something.

"Uh…" Tenchi began, sweat beading on his forehead. "Um, nobody. Hi, Misaki. How are you doing on this fine day?" he said, hoping she'd buy into it.

"I'm very happy and excited! Where is my Aeka? I want to see her."

Instantly everybody cringed, now extremely worried about what they were going to do to stall her.

"She's still sleeping. She wasn't feeling very well and I gave her some strong medicine last night. She should be waking up refreshed, rested, and feeling like a million bucks in a little while," Washu said, calmly, sipping a cup of tea. "Nothing to worry about."

"Oh my," Misaki said, disappointed. But she perked up almost instantly. "Well, no matter." Glomping Sasami once again, she took her daughter over to the couch and sat down, hugging the life out of the little princess, who was turning about as blue as her hair.

Funaho smiled and just shook her head. "How is everyone? You're all looking well."

Nobuyuki turned around and headed back to the floor. "I'll go and get grandfather. I'll be back in a few minutes," he said, heading out the door.

"Wonderful. Thank you," she said, smiling. She always had such a calm demeanor about her.

"Can I get you some tea?" Tenchi offered, relieved that Washu saved their skins.

"That would be nice," she said, kneeling down at the table near Ryoko, who hadn't moved nor said a word since their arrival. Taking notice, Funaho smiled and nodded her head. "It's nice to see you too, Ryoko."

"Thanks," she said, looking at the ceiling.

Sliding a cup of tea in front of the empress, Tenchi smiled and sat down next to her. "It's not the greatest, but please enjoy it," he said. "How are things with you?"

Funaho sighed, looking toward the TV, which had the game on pause, but she didn't pay it any mind. "It's been pretty dead around the palace. But we were very worried about Aeka, so we immediately came here once we saw what happened to her."

"Aeka is just fine. Russ somehow saved her," Tenchi described, remembering the miracle he performed. "It was amazing."

"Only the power of Tsunami is supposed to be able to revive the dead. No mere mortal is supposed to have that ability," Funaho said, looking concerned. "I just don't understand Russ. It's almost like he doesn't belong in this universe."

"It doesn't matter, Auntie," Sasami said, turning off her playstation, somehow managing to worm her way out of Misaki's grasp. "Russ is my big brother and I don't care about anything else. He's very sweet and kind and I love him."

Both Funaho and Misaki smiled, satisfied with that answer. "Where is Russ anyway? I thought he'd be around here somewhere?" Misaki asked, looking around. "And I thought I heard someone else in here too."

Thinking fast, Tenchi scratched his head, and then grinned. "Well, Russ sleeps late, sometimes. He'll probably be getting up soon."

Misaki smiled. "Has Aeka and him gotten involved yet?"

"Now, now. We mustn't keep pressuring them," Funaho said, grinning. "They'll let us know when they are."

"Way more than you realize," Ryoko mumbled under her breath, trying to keep from giggling.

"What is it, Ryoko?" Funaho asked, hearing Ryoko talking to herself.

"Ack…" she stuttered. "Uh, it's nothing. Nothing at all," she said, laughing, giving her best innocent look.

Looking at her strangely, Funaho shrugged her shoulders. "Oh well. Must not be important."

"By the way, where is the Emperor?" Washu asked, noticing his absence.

"He's waiting for us outside. Or rather, he's waiting for Russ," Funaho said, frowning. "He's obsessed in taking Aeka home. I'm afraid there isn't much we can do to stop him."

"No!" Sasami shouted. "I don't want to go home! I AM home!"

Misaki looked hurt at hearing her daughter's outburst. "But, don't you want to come back to Jurai with me?" she said, huge tears at the edges of her eyes.

"Not without Russ," she answered, sternly. "I won't go anywhere without him, and neither will Aeka." Standing defiant, she folded her arms over her chest and glared at both her mother and aunt.

"I'm afraid, little Sasami, that you do not have a choice in the matter," Funaho said, gently. "You are the princess…"

"I don't care!" she interrupted. "I wasn't happy there. It was boring! I hate acting all proper all the time and there is never anything for me to do! Nobody will let me cook or clean because we have maids to do all that. It's stupid! And why can't Russ go? He's the nicest person I know next to Tenchi, and I want him to come with us!"

Misaki let out a deep sigh, and then knelt down in front of her daughter, taking Sasami's shoulders in her hands. "Listen, Sasami. This is something that the Royal Family has done for many millennia, and it's impossible to break tradition. You were born to lead our empire to greatness, as we have done. You will one day sit on the throne next to a husband of your choice, as long as he is of noble blood himself. You see, Sasami," Misaki explained, calmly and collectively, "It's up to us to do what's right, and it's up to you and your sister to carry on our traditions. You will be a great leader, but you need to learn how first, and that's why you need to come home with us. It would be very hard for you to take over the empire without any schooling or training. That's why we're taking you, and your sister, home."

"But I don't want any of that!" the princess objected, causing Misaki to recoil in surprise. "I don't want to sit on a throne all day long and be waited on hand and foot. That's boring! I want to play like I have ever since I've been here. I've never felt so happy until I stayed here with Tenchi and grandfather. And when Russ came here, he made it even more fun. He always plays with me and shows me how to do a lot of things. He's taught me a lot, and I like what he teaches me," Sasami explained, on the verge of breaking into tears. "He's like a brother to me, and I don't want to leave him. I'd feel so sad if I did."

"I'm sorry, Sasami, but your father has already decided," Funaho said, standing up. "It's necessary to train you to carry on our traditions, and that cannot be done here. Unfortunately, the Emperor has decided that Russ will not be coming with us, as he is not of noble blood. Even though he is a gentleman, he is neither a scholar nor of nobility, and you know very well why father feels the way he does. He's always told you that you deserve the very best."

"Russ IS the best!" Sasami shouted, letting the tears begin to flow.

"We both agree with you," Misaki said, grabbing Sasami and crushing her in a motherly embrace. "He can learn the ways of nobility, but your father is too stubborn to see it that way. You know that I like Russ and want him to be a part of your lives, but it's impossible to make your father see it that way."

"Then I'll make him," Sasami said, clenching her fists. "I will not go home unless Russ can come with us. I can be just as stubborn as father!"

Hearing a door slide open above their heads, the family became silent as they saw both Russ and Aeka exit his bedroom, both of them fully clothed in their training gi's, poker faces on, and looking very determined.

"I am staying, and that's final," Aeka said, her voice cold and hard. "Father can kiss my ass."

Both Funaho and Misaki's jaws dropped upon hearing what Aeka had to say and how she was dressed. She looked stunningly good in her clothing, and she had the attitude to accompany it too. After overcoming their initial shock, Misaki and Funaho looked at each other, a slight grin on their lips.

"The Emperor is outside and waiting to speak to you, Russ," Misaki said, gesturing toward the lake. "Please be careful."

"I'm not the one who's going to get hurt out there," Russ growled. "Let's go."

Silently, the entire family followed Russ out the door and into the yard, letting the sunlight fall onto their shoulders on such a fine, beautiful day.

"Any change?"

"None, sir."

"Keep an eye on that fleet. We're greatly outnumbered, so we're going to have to be at our very best to defeat them if something goes wrong."

"Yes, sir."

Sitting back in the captains' chair, unable to calm down, Tom stared out of the window at the massive treeship fleet that hid on the other side of the moon. The Star Destroyer was currently under cloak, and so far, they had remained completely undetected. The Yagami was in orbit nearby, but it was currently unmanned. For a moment, Tom wondered how come the Earthlings had never seen it up there since it was always visible, plain as day.

"The Emperor and his wives are now on the Earth, right?" Tom asked, now looking toward the planet surface. "Man, I hope everything goes okay."

Standing next to him, Sakuya smiled and rested her pale hand on his shoulder. "Do not worry so much, sir. You have the finest crew in the universe up here with you, who are all willing to fight for you and follow your orders to the letter. We'll be fine."

Letting out a deep breath and trying to calm down, Tom looked up into her eyes and smiled. "Thanks. That helped a little. But I do have a feeling that we're still going to get into a massive firefight with the Jurians. I hope we don't wind up going to war over something like this."

"I highly doubt that," Nagi said, approaching him from the lift. "After watching the simulations that your crew has been performing, the Emperor is probably going to go home embarrassed and not want to talk about this incident for all time. Besides, even though he IS the emperor, this is a secret mission of his. Only him and his personal fleet are here, and have nothing to do with the true Jurian military. As far as Jurai is concerned, this mission isn't even happening."

"Maybe so, but that still don't mean that he won't go home and declare war on the Earth, or us," Tom fretted.

Nagi shook her head. "I've fought against them many times and can go visit their planet whenever I please," she said. "I annihilated many of their ships while an imposter Yosho was sitting on the throne, whereas the Yagami didn't even destroy one. Generally, they're a peaceful people, so they'll most likely overrule any rash decision the Emperor may make. He was very angry with me for destroying so many ships and killing thousands of his people, but in the end, he shut his mouth because he had no support."

"I suppose. Still, you're just one person with only one ship. It would sound quite silly to declare war on just one person," Tom said, turning his attention away from his passenger and toward the fleet again. "There are just so many of those ships. I wonder how many fighters are onboard them?"

Nagi sighed, standing next to him. Sakuya watched the two of them, but turned and headed back to her station to resume her work, feeling out of place. "As far as I know, each Jurian warship has ten tree fighters onboard, but I have no idea how many are on his personal cruiser."

"So we have a potential of over three thousand enemy fighters to do battle against. That's more than five times my entire compliment!" Tom whined, now extremely concerned. "I've got around forty fighters onboard my Star Destroyer, but I have many more back home. Most of them should be around here by now, sitting under cloak. Sakuya?"

"Yes sir?" she said, looking up at him.

"Is the rest of the fleet here?"

"Yes sir. They're all in formation and awaiting your orders," she indicated, smiling.

Tom smiled. "Excellent. Have them remain under cloak until I give the order."

"Aye, captain," she said, keying in an encoded transmission and sending it out to the other vessels.

"Your fleet?" Nagi questioned, looking serious.

Nodding, Tom's grin increased in size. "Yeah. I called in reinforcements from my home just before the Emperor arrived."

"How many ships?"

"It's not impressive. Only twenty ships, each fully loaded with various fighters. There are still a handful back at my home planet, guarding my top secret project, but since they're here, we should stand a very good chance of defeating them, or scaring them off before this gets completely out of hand."

"Good to know," Nagi said, turning around and heading back to the lift. "I'm going to feed Ken-Ohki. When the time comes, we will lend our assistance." Stepping into the lift and keying in the floor to her quarters, she smiled as the doors closed, sealing her off from the bridge.

"Damn, she's one hell of a woman. I wonder if she's available."

Looking on, a look of disappointment written on her face, Sakuya turned her attention back to her console, resuming her analysis of the tree ships.

Quietly standing about twenty feet from each other, Russ and Asuza bored into each other's eyes, judging each other and trying to determine who would break first. Aeka stood off to Russ's left and Sasami stood on his right, but Tenchi and the rest of the family stood behind him, however, they remained in view. Katsuhito remained silent, a blank look on his wizened visage.

Misaki and Funaho had returned to their husband's side, concerned over the intenseness that they could feel from both Russ and Asuza. It was so thick with emotion that they could've cut it with a knife, had it been a tangible thing.

Finally, after staring at each other for nearly three minutes, Asuza looked at both of his daughters, reading the cross, but determined expression in their eyes. Instantly, he knew that his plan was not going to be easy. Fortunately, he did have his contingency plan.

"Aeka. Sasami. You are both looking well," he rumbled, his deep voice penetrating the air and cutting the silence. "Greetings, Yosho."

The only motion that could be seen from Katsuhito was the shift of his eyes, as he looked at the ground in front of him. He remained silent, unwilling to say anything that could provoke his father.

Clearing his throat, Asuza once again looked at his two daughters. "I have come to take you home, my children," he boomed. "It is time for you to…"

"I'm not going anywhere," Aeka interrupted, clenching her fists.

Asuza's eyes widened considerably. "Huh?"

"Dear, perhaps we should talk about this over a nice cup of tea," Misaki suggested.

Her plea went ignored. "You have no say in the matter, Aeka!" he growled. "You and Sasami will come home with us and resume your duties as the Princesses of Jurai!"

"I will not," she returned, trying to keep herself under control.

"Aeka! Show your father some respect," Misaki bit out, surprised and almost overwhelmed at her sternness and rudeness.

"No. I will not respect someone who will not respect me," Aeka said, coldly. "I want to stay here. That is my decision."

Asuza growled an obscenity, quietly enough so only his wives could hear. Bringing himself up to his full height, he furrowed his eyebrows together, thrust out his finger on his right hand, and boomed his orders. "You will come home with us, now. Your stay here on this miserable little planet is OVER."

"This isn't fair!" Sasami yelled, grabbing onto Russ's arm. "We ARE home!"

"YOU ARE NOT HOME!" the Emperor roared, infuriated that his daughters had forsaken Jurai for such a little, dirty, backwater planet. "Your home is with us!"

"Leave," Russ growled, staring directly at Asuza, his eyes ablaze with rage and hate.

"You have no right…" Asuza began.

Russ put up his right hand, signaling him to stop. "Your daughters want to stay here. If that is what they want, then I will make sure that is what they get," he said, his tone as cold as steel. Reaching out with his arms, he gently took Aeka into his arm and pulled Sasami closer to him with his other arm, drawing a complete look of shock and surprise from Misaki and Funaho. "I will do anything for Aeka and Sasami, and there isn't another man alive who can take them from me."

"Does this mean…?" Misaki stuttered, her face full of awe and hope. "Are you two finally together?"

Russ and Aeka looked at each other, and then smiled. "Yes," they both answered.

"Oh my god, that's WONDERFUL!" she shrieked, smiling. "My daughter finally has a boyfriend! I'm so happy for you, Aeka!"

"This is an outrage!" Asuza yelled in barely controlled rage. "How dare you touch my daughter in such a way, you barbarian!"

Russ glared at him, trying with all of his will to keep from blowing him away right then and there. "I don't know where you get off insulting me at every turn, especially when you don't know a damn thing about me," Russ spat, trying to keep his fists from shaking. "I highly recommend you leave. Now. Before I get really pissed off."

"I don't care how much power you think you have, you ruffian. There is no way you could touch the Jurian Royal Family."

"Yes, I can."

"You and what army?" Asuza shot back.

"This one," another voice said, coming out from behind Russ and making himself known to them for the first time.

Misaki and Funaho both gasped, as they instantly recognized who now stood alongside Russ, Aeka, and Sasami. He was a tad shorter than Russ, but he was just as built. But now, he had a different aura about him in comparison to when they saw him fight against Russ. He had a different appearance about him, even though they couldn't really see what it was. However, they could definitely feel it.

Asuza's face became a mask of terror, as he took a step back, now very concerned that Zorpheus, Russ's enemy, was now standing with him. "You're supposed to be dead! I saw Russ kill you!"

Zorpheus grinned. "Can a dead guy do this, jackass?" he said, pointing his palm at the Emperor, but slightly over his head. Releasing a small, blue beam, it screamed over Asuza's head, singeing some of his hairs.

Asuza ducked, now almost on the verge of panic. "THAT'S IT! Aeka, if you and Sasami do not come home, I will give you a reason to! This entire planet is going to go up in a Startica Fireball unlike one you've ever seen before, but only if you refuse to come home!"

"If that's the way you want to play, I'll just kill you now," Zorpheus growled, slowly approaching Asuza, his footsteps treading heavily on the soft ground. "Nobody threatens my home or my friends. I don't care who they are. Maybe the next Emperor won't be so quick to piss me off."

"STOP RIGHT THERE," Asuza bellowed, taking another step back, both of his wives looking in fear at Zorpheus, unsure what he was going to do. "Aeka, Sasami! What's it going to be?!"

Russ glanced down at his beloved, and took in a deep breath. "It's up to you, Aeka. If you want, you may go, and I won't stop you. Or, you can stay, and I will fight to keep you here."

"That is the dumbest offer you've ever made," Aeka said, smiling. "You know what I'd say to that. You didn't even have to ask."

"As you wish, your highness," Russ said, releasing her and Sasami, taking several paces forward and standing next to Zorpheus, who stood only about ten feet away from the Royal Family.

"This is treason!" Asuza yelled, his eyes on fire from the building anger he felt within his mind. "Come home, my daughters. I will forget this whole incident if you do."

"Perhaps this will give you my final answer," Aeka said, reaching up to the tiara that she kept on her forehead, that she had worn since she was a child. Carefully lifting it off, she shook her hair around, letting it fall in its natural state on the sides of her face. Taking the circlet, she tossed it to the ground. "I hereby renounce my throne to Jurai. I will no longer be the Princess of the Royal Family."

"YOU WHAT!? WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING, AEKA?!" Asuza screamed, about to have a heart attack. "YOU CANNOT DO THAT!"

"I've got news for you, you old fart. She just did," Zorpheus said, clenching his fists, a blue glow emanating around his whole body as he began to slowly charge up.

"Aeka! You cannot be serious!" Misaki yelled, unable to understand why her daughter was behaving in such a way. "You just can't forsake us and turn your back on us! Look at all we have done for you!"

"All that I've had for most of my life is grief from father," she answered, glaring at the Emperor. "He has despised everybody that I've liked instead of supporting me in my decisions. I will not deal with this any more. I'm happy here, and this is where I wish to stay. The same goes for Sasami."

Funaho looked at both of the disobedient daughters, tears on the edges of her eyes. "I beg you to reconsider, Aeka and Sasami. You don't realize what you're throwing away."

"If I go home with you, I'd throw away my happiness," Aeka responded, trying to keep herself from crying. "Russ is what makes me happy, and you're telling me I have to leave him behind. I will not do that."

"And I won't let you take her from me, either," Russ added.

"Neither will I," Zorpheus said, still glowing from the buildup of energy.

Silence filled the area, as everybody stood in shock, unsure of what to do to overcome everything that has just transpired. It was one of those days where everybody should've just stayed in bed.

"I will come home with you, on one condition," Aeka said, breaking the awkward silence.

Misaki and Funaho both looked up at her, hope in each of their hearts. Turning toward Asuza, they gave him their best pleading looks, begging him to change his mind. No words needed to be spoken, as he knew what her demand was going to be.

Asuza shook his head. "I'm sorry, Aeka, but he cannot come with us. You are supposed to marry someone of noble blood, and he is not."

"What does it matter?" Misaki shot back, clenching her fists, infuriated at her husband's stubbornness. "He can learn the ways of nobility!"

"I will not have a man like him sitting on our throne!" Asuza shot back, silencing his wife. "He doesn't deserve it!"

"Unlike you, who probably had it handed to him?" Zorpheus interjected, glowing more intensely now, as his anger continued to build. "I knew before you arrived that you were a jackass, but after hearing all of your senseless blubber, I think that'd be an insult to the rest of the Jackasses. The only person here who doesn't deserve the throne is you, you spoiled little shit."

Closing his eyes for a moment, he reopened them and looked at everybody in turn, reading the incredibly hateful, aggressive looks on each of their faces, and he knew he was outnumbered. "Why can't you see?" he muttered. "Traitors. Every last one of you is a damned traitor. If you will not come home peacefully, I will force you to come. I am transporting back to my ship, and I will order my fleet to annihilate this hellhole of a planet. That should be a good enough reason to come back to your real home, especially if I destroy this one."

"You're bluffing," Russ growled, seeing the blaze in Asuza's violet eyes.

"Originally, I was. Now, I'm not. You, and your home, will go up in one of the most brilliant planetary explosions ever recorded by Jurai."

"I will kill you," Russ snarled, stepping forward. "If I have to fight against you up there, I will destroy your ship and you. I don't care how many ships you brought with you. I will not stop fighting until I off every last one of you."

"You're making a huge mistake, Asuza," Funaho said, her hands shaking from her frayed nerves. "Please stop this nonsense before somebody gets hurt."

"I've made my decision. Anything bad that happens is on Aeka's hands," he returned softly, looking at his daughter, disgust written all over his face. "This is all your fault, you ungrateful bitch."

Becoming surrounded in emerald light, the Emperor of Jurai disappeared from view, leaving behind a completely stunned crowd of people.

"Aw, son of a…" Russ shouted, running back to his fighter. Zorpheus was right behind him.

"Azaka! Kamidake!" Aeka called, watching her two guardians fade into view alongside her.

"Yes, your highness?" They chimed, ready to serve.

"I am no longer royalty," she said, looking sternly at the two wooden logs. "I do not deserve that title."

"You can't be serious," Azaka said, his blue eye flashing as he spoke.

"Why would you do that? You know we cannot serve someone not of the Royal Family!" Kamidake added.

"Which is why I've called you here. You are free to return with my father, or you may serve me one last time. I need your help with Ryu-Oh," she said, watching Russ and Zorpheus jump into their fighters, powering them up. "I'm begging you for your help."

"Go with her, Guardians of Old," Funaho ordered. "I am still of the Royal Family, and I give you permission to aid Aeka in her endeavor."

"Yes, your highness," they said together.

"I'm coming too," Misaki said, marching over to her daughter. "I will help you in any way that I can." Looking down at her, she smiled, choking back the emotions that swam throughout her mind.

Sighing softly, Aeka looked at her mother, reached out, and hugged her. "Thank you, mommy."

"That's my little Aeka," she said, squeezing her tightly. "Lets go."

"I want to come too," Sasami said, standing defiant.

Misaki shook her head. "No. You stay here with Washu, Funaho, and your grandfather. It's too dangerous up there with us."

"Quit treating me like a little kid, mom," Sasami retorted, becoming cross. "I want to fight alongside Russ and Aeka. I want to…"

"Sasami," Misaki said, kneeling down to her height. "Fighting is not your thing. You're a kind and gentle soul, far more than Aeka and myself. You will better serve your purpose here, where it is safe. Do not worry. We will come home safely."

"But…" Sasami began to say, but suddenly, her eyes rolled into the back of her head as she collapsed into her mother's arms.

Misaki gently laid her down on the ground, and sighed. "Please take care of her, Yosho," Misaki pleaded. "I cannot afford to risk her life for anybody."

"Yes, Auntie," he said, leaning over and scooping up the little princess in his arms.

"Come on, Ryo-Ohki!" Ryoko yelled, grabbing the cabbit who sat by her leg, tossing her into the air once again. After a moment, she morphed into her crystalline form, and hovered overhead.

A loud rumble exploded from both the Tie Defender and Toscan Fighter as they lifted off of the ground, pitched upward, and began their ascent into space. Emerald light engulfed Aeka, Misaki, and her two guardians as they transported onboard the Royal Treeship, Ryu-oh, and a moment later, Tenchi and Ryoko both transported onboard Ryo-Ohki, ready to do battle.

"Good luck to all of you," Funaho whispered, watching the four ships rocket off into the atmosphere.

"Everything should be fine, mother," Katsuhito said, watching his sister ascend into the heavens. "They will do anything for each other, and I believe that it's enough to hold them together forever."

"Come," Washu said, making herself known for the first time. "We can watch the battle from my lab."

Making their way back toward the house, they felt strangely calm and at ease, even though all hell was about to break loose right over their heads.

"Red Alert!" Tom barked, seeing the four ships racing out of the atmosphere. "It's time!"

Red warning lights began flashing as the siren wailed it's familiar alert, causing the crew of the Gray Wolf to hurry to their designated battle stations. Pilots were dressing in their flight suits while the gunners made their way to the turbolaser turrets. Power output from the engines was re-routed to the shields and turrets, setting the guns to maximum firepower and keeping the shields at a steady two hundred percent.

Tom watched with pride, as his ship became battle ready in less than thirty seconds. Remaining under cloak, he pulled up behind Russ, Zorpheus, Ryoko, and Aeka, and waited for the right moment to reveal his ship and fleet.

"You just love making the dramatic entrance, don't you?" Sakuya said, causing Tom to smile.

"Contact Kiyone and Mihoshi. Let them know the battle is about to begin."

"Yes, sir," the communications officer responded, opening a channel to the resident Galaxy Police, sending their alert status to them.

"Kiyone!" Mihoshi wailed, nearly knocking over her partner. "We've got an emergency!"

"You better not have to go to the bathroom again," Kiyone growled, glaring at her. "We have another hour to go for this shift and then we can go to Tenchi's house."

"No! Tom just sent us a message that they're about to begin fighting!" she whined.

Kiyone's eyes widened considerably. "Oh, no. They're here already!? Let's go!"

"HEY! Back to work!" the manager barked.

"I'm sorry sir, but we must leave. A major emergency has just come up," Kiyone yelled, running out the door, followed closely behind by Mihoshi.

"THAT'S IT! YOU'RE FIRED!" he hollered after them.

"Well, there goes another job," Kiyone groaned, shaking her head.

The two girls became engulfed in ruby light as they were transported onboard the Yagami. Quickly running to the cockpit, they stopped and stared at the huge Jurai fleet parked behind the moon. Looking around for a moment, they spotted Ryo-Ohki, Ryu-Oh, the Toscan Fighter and Russ's Tie Defender. They looked so small and insignificant against the incredible mass of opposing ships.

"What should we do, Kiyone?" Mihoshi wailed. "We can't let anything happen to Aeka and Russ, but we can't fight against the Emperor of Jurai either!"

"I know that! But the Jurians aren't even supposed to be here. Frankly, if I'm not mistaken, this mission isn't even taking place right now, at least from the viewpoint of the Jurai people… Mihoshi, power up the main guns."

"Are we going to fight?" she asked nervously, but she had a glimmer of hope in her eyes.

Kiyone nodded. "We're supposed to keep the peace, and they're about to start a war. In this case, it's Jurai that is in the wrong, and we have to help Russ and them to make it right."

Mihoshi pulled herself up and stood tall, determination on her face. "Detective First Class Mihoshi is ready to serve and protect!"

Pulling out of orbit, they swung their ship around, and after a moment, pulled up alongside Ryu-Oh, facing the Jurian fleet head-on.

"Incoming communication," Mihoshi indicated, seeing the flashing light on the console.

"Put it on the main viewer."

The screen crackled to life as Aeka appeared in the middle of it. "I'm glad to see you decided to get involved. We can use all the help we can get. I don't know if Tom is still around, but we are really in a bind."

"I can see that. How many ships?" Kiyone inquired, still trying to figure out how they were going to overcome such odds with the miniscule fleet that they mustered.

"Ten fighters onboard each warship, and my father's personal cruiser has nearly a hundred onboard. He will probably split the flight groups into thirty groups of a hundred ships," Aeka reported, looking very concerned. "Those fighters are pretty maneuverable, and they're about the same size as Russ's fighter. They're shielded and have three or four laser cannons on each, depending on the configuration. No warheads."

"I see. Well, we fought against them before, so we know what to do," Kiyone said, squirming uncomfortably in her seat.

"These aren't your ordinary pilots. These are the elite of the elite. They are my father's personal army. They go where he sends them, no questions asked, and they consist of the most highly skilled pilots in the imperial navy. We're really going to have to work hard to beat them, but I believe we can do it."

"Yes, ma'am. We'll do our best."

"Yes! We'll beat them and send them home, crying to their mommies!" Mihoshi yelled, looking very excited.

Kiyone and Aeka both looked at her strangely, but they shook it off a moment later.

"Good luck to you," Aeka said, as her mother came up beside her.

"Same to you," Kiyone said, turning off the communications channel.

Russ, sitting in his fighter, continued to look at the massive fleet before him, wondering what it was going to take to beat him and send him home. He already knew that groups that were a part of personal fleets were usually top ace pilots, but he knew that he had a superior fighter to theirs in every way. It was faster, heavily shielded, and could outmaneuver all of their fighters quite easily, as he remembered how easy it was to get behind one of them during the Startica furball that he participated in. Not only that, but the output of his weapons were far beyond their own.

"I hope that if we destroy a few of their ships, they'll stop this crap and go home. But I really wonder if Asuza was serious about destroying the planet. I still think he's bluffing."

"It was hard to tell," Zorpheus acknowledged through the comm link. "I can't believe that he's Aeka's and Sasami's father! He's so different from them."

"I agree with you a hundred and ten percent on that one. I never liked him from the minute I laid eyes on him back at the Startica festival, and I could tell he didn't like me either. At first, I thought he was being overprotective, but man, he was such a jerk about doing it," Russ complained, getting worked up again. "I've never been insulted so many times in my entire life! Not even when I was in a fight with someone! In a way, I'm glad I'm about to stomp a mudhole in this guy. He deserves it."

"Yeah. Well, it looks like he's about to make his final announcement, and then we dance," Zorpheus said, watching Asuza's face appear on one of his video monitors.

"Aeka, I'm going to give you one more chance to come home with us, because you're my daughter and I love you. You deserve the very best this universe has to offer, and I will not have you accepting anything less," he demanded, his voice booming over the communications channel.

Patiently waiting a moment, Aeka's visage appeared on another channel, and the monitor showed the both of them in split-screen mode.

"I told you, father, that I want to remain here. Since you will not allow Russ to come home with me, I will remain here with him, or wherever else he decides to go," she replied, looking incredibly regal, tall, and proud.

"Aeka," Asuza began again, letting out a sigh. "You do not understand the significance of your decision. I cannot believe that you've forsaken your Jurian heritage like you have."

"You made me do it, father," Aeka retorted, glaring at him through the monitors.

A small vein began protruding from Asuza's forehead as he struggled to maintain control over himself, seething with barely concealed rage. "I allowed you to remain on Earth because Tenchi is of noble blood, and would've been more suited to take your hand in marriage. Even though I was against it, I would've been more lenient toward him. But Russ… where in the hell did he come from? He shows up at the house, moves in uninvited, and has since then brainwashed my daughter to his own ideals? How could you let him do this to you, Aeka?"

"He didn't do a thing," Aeka responded, calmly. "I fell in love with him on my own. He loves me for who I am. He loves me as a person, and not a princess. That is what I wanted, and that is why I loved Tenchi and why I love Russ."

"I don't believe it," Asuza said, shaking his head. "Out of all the men I had lined up for you to choose from, you fell in love with someone like THAT?"

"Yes. And what makes me hate you is the fact that you do not support me at all. So therefore, I have broken all ties with Jurai. I am now, and forever will be, an Earthling, and further still, Russ's bride," she said, proudly. "I want to be in love and to be loved. That is what makes me happy."

Asuza's face became so contorted with disgust that he looked about ready to send a blast straight into the video monitor. Clenching his teeth, he made one last plea with his daughter. "Come home with me, now, Aeka. You are the first Princess of the Jurai Royal Family. Tradition, and myself, demand it. If you do not, I will destroy the sole reason for you being here," he added.

Cocking his eyebrow, Russ glanced over at Zorpheus's fighter, and it was then that he realized Asuza's empty threat. His entire plan revolved around getting him into his fighter and bringing him out into space, where hopefully he'd be defeated easily, and he'd die of suffocation.

"Oh, wise move, oh great assmaster," Russ growled.

Zorpheus chuckled. "Too bad that bringing us out here isn't going to be any easier than fighting us on the ground."

"That's not entirely true. There isn't a Jurian alive that could do anything to us, but our fighters are a little more vulnerable. I will have to be careful. I don't doubt that Asuza will send over those fighters, with their sole orders being to target me, and only me."

"You don't need to worry. You're a better pilot than all of them combined, and you've bested me many times. You've got this one licked, on the ground or up here."

"Don't feed my ego," Russ said, grinning. "Well, lets see where this goes, and then we get to play with our cannon fodder."

"How dare you threaten him like that? What did he ever do to you?" Aeka shrilled, extremely upset.

"He's done enough. He's turned my own daughter against me and he threatened to kill me. That, in itself, is punishable by death. Frankly, death is too easy of a release for him, but I will grant him a swift one," he said, raising his hand.

"Don't you dare give that order," Misaki growled, standing next to her daughter. "You are way out of line, Emperor. This is not the way the Emperor of Jurai should comport himself."

"Misaki. Has he bewitched you too?" Asuza growled, glaring at her. "She's our daughter and the Princess, and she refuses to come home. She has left me with no other alternative."

"Only because you refuse to allow Russ to learn the ways of nobility. He has a kind and gentle demeanor to rule with. He could very easily learn Jurian tradition. He would be a great asset to us by himself, as well."

"How could HE be an asset?" Asuza shot back, annoyed. "He's dead weight and stupid. He's nothing but a playboy and a waste of flesh."

"Enough!" Misaki yelled, growing impatient with his utterly impenetrable stubbornness. "There wouldn't be an empire stupid enough to challenge someone like Russ if he were on the throne. Why can't you see that? He's the most powerful being in existence! He's godlike, even. Our empire would be invincible with him on our side!"

"Feh. He isn't worth the cloth the throne is made from," Asuza returned, causing Misaki to grind her teeth. "What is it going to be, Aeka? Will you come home, or will I destroy the only thing keeping you here?" he demanded, unwilling to argue with his daughter and his wife anymore.

"You leave me no choice, father," Aeka said, hanging her head in shame. "I will fight you and anybody else who dares try to separate me from my one true love." Standing defiant, alongside her mother, she closed her eyes, and then glared at her father. "Activate the Lighthawk Wings and all lasers. We are going to fight," she ordered, glancing back at Azaka and Kamidake.

"Yes ma'am," they chimed, as three white blades of energy formed in front of her ship. Dozens of laser ports popped out of the wooden hull, ready to open fire with deadly, blue energy.

"So be it, Aeka," he said, disappearing into a mass of static as his ship ceased its transmission.

Asuza looked out of the windows at the blue planet, and the five little tickmarks that represented the fleet that he was about to face. A tear came to his eye, as he never dreamed that he'd have to fight his daughter in deadly combat. This was almost too unreal to be true.

"WHY COULDN'T SHE SEE?!" he roared, stomping his foot in frustration. His crew stood idly by, trying not to look at him. They knew it wasn't their place to say a word to him.

Sighing in frustration, Asuza raised his hand once again. "Launch all fighters and prepare to do combat. Red Alert, stage one."

Red lights began flashing on the bridge of his ship as an alarm screeched several times, then fell silent. Everybody was already at combat readiness, so it wasn't long before all three thousand fighters were launched from the surrounding ships. The space around the vessels became a virtual cloud of fighters. After a few moments of chaos from the launch, each fighter reached its flight group and took on the proper formation, awaiting further orders.

"Flight group one, report in," Asuza ordered, sitting down on his throne, ready to direct the upcoming battle.

"Flight group one leader reporting in," came the response as a man suited in Jurian robes appeared on a monitor.

"To all ships! Your primary orders are to target and destroy Russ's fighter. Secondary targets include Ryo-Ohki, the Yagami, and Zorpheus's fighter. Do not destroy Ryu-Oh. Disable it if you can, but do not destroy it," Asuza ordered.

"Acknowledged, sir," came the response. "Flight group one commencing attack run."

One hundred fighters broke formation from the cloud of ships and began to make their way over to Russ and his measly fleet.

Watching nervously, Russ saw a small, but large swarm of fighters break off from the main group and begin their attack run on him. Closing his eyes, he took in a deep breath, calming himself down a little.

"It's time, Russ. What will you have us do?" came Aeka's voice.

"I will take on the flight group alone," came Russ's response. "I want to send a message to your father to let him know that I'm not one to mess with."

"That's nuts," Zorpheus interjected, appearing next to Aeka on the computer screen. "At least let me help!"

Out of nowhere, an incredibly huge section of space began to bend and fold in on itself, as a massive, white ship appeared directly behind the group.

"Tom's still here?" Russ said in amazement.

"Gray Wolf to incoming vessels. Cease your advance or we will use force," came the transmission.

"I thought you left!" Russ yelled, confused. "What are you still doing here?"

"You're so dense sometimes, Russ," Tom said, grinning. "Not only am I still here, but I brought friends too."

"Huh?"

A moment later, twenty zones of space became wavy, as a ship appeared in each singularity, all of them a ship out of Starwars. A Victory class Star Destroyer, a Dreadnaught, a Calamari Cruiser, two Strike Cruisers, two Carrack Cruisers, two Nebulon B Escort Frigates, two Nebulon Modified Frigates, two Nebulon G class Frigates, four Modified Blockade Runners, an Escort Carrier, and lastly, two standard Blockade Runners appeared, all of them in perfect formation, powered up, and ready to fight for him.

Seconds later, fighters of all types began pouring out of the hanger bays of each of the capital ships, from both Rebel and Imperial sides. Tie Fighters, Tie Interceptors, Tie Bombers, Tie Advanced, V-38 Ties, Assault Gunboats, Missile Boats, X-Wings, A-Wings, Y-Wings, B-Wings, T-Wings, E-Wings, K-Wings, Z-95 Headhunters, R-41 Starchasers, Skipray Blastboats, Planetary Fighters, Pinook Fighters, Supa Fighters, and many others launched from the hangers.

Transports and shuttles of various types began to launch as well, including Tyderian Shuttles, Escort Shuttles, Assault Transports, Stormtrooper Transports, Escort Transports, YT-1300 Transports, YT-2000 Transports, and many more.

Sitting there in shock, Russ couldn't help but marvel at how much his fleet had grown in the past minute. Unable to stop the growing grin and the feeling of satisfaction, he shook his head.

"Where in the hell did you get all of this stuff?" he asked, watching as all the fighters took up formations right behind him.

"You thought that this was the only ship I had?" Tom snickered. "No. Work was preceding on these others as well, and now I'm glad I had it done. One ship isn't enough to defend itself, especially against opposition like this. But we should do fairly well."

"Tom!" Russ yelled, sitting back in his seat. "I owe you a debt that I'll never be able to repay."

"Everybody onboard this ship is willing to fight for you, Russ. You have way more friends than even you realize."

Russ shook his head, overwhelmed at the sense of unity that came from everybody who surrounded him. "Thank you. All of you," Russ finally said.

"Tom to all ships. Dying is not an option. If you are having trouble, come back to one of the capital ships to recharge your shields or get a reload of warheads. Do NOT press your luck. Reckless flying will be dealt with harshly and swiftly, as a price cannot be put on a life," he said, standing tall.

Asuza stood in shock at seeing the many ships appear out of nowhere, wondering how they hid from view so easily. It seemed impossible to have a fleet appear instantly like that, but then again, that Imperial Star Destroyer had shown several traits of technology that went far beyond Jurai's.

"Sir, flight leader from group one is sending a transmission," said his first officer.

"Emperor? What shall we do? Do we engage?" he asked, nervously.

"You have your orders," came Asuza's chilling response. "I will send flight group two through five to assist you."

"Yes, sir." Vanishing from view, they continued advancing toward the enemy, but slowed down to wait for the additional reinforcements.

"It's time to see what we're up against," Asuza muttered, curious as to how his superior Jurian forces would fare against an unknown enemy.

"They're still advancing, and now with reinforcements," Russ muttered, watching five hundred fighters make way toward their position. "Do your best, everyone."

"Hold your fire until I give the order," Tom said, watching the mass grow ever closer. "I want them to be in for a big surprise."

After less than a minute, the enemy fighters were almost within range. They had no engine exhaust to speak of, which Tom hadn't noticed before.

"Russ? Move your fighter behind us. We want to get them caught in the crossfire. We'll annihilate this group in one swift blaze of glory," Tom ordered.

"Okay. Good idea. Zorph? You, Aeka, Kiyone, and Ryoko, follow me. Stay out of the line of fire as long as you can. It would be wise to let Tom and his crew assist us in every way they can. They do have the superior craft here."

"You got it," Ryoko responded, moving behind the Star Destroyer, but staying close to Russ.

"Roger that," Kiyone answered, keeping formation.

"You're the boss," Zorpheus drawled, getting in position.

Aeka didn't answer as her ship moved slowly from the front of the line to the back, keeping the front of her ship facing the rushing enemy force.

Waiting anxiously, the Jurian fighters came ever closer, and now could be seen in full detail. Now less than a half-mile away, both sides had yet to fire a single shot.

"Wait for it…" Tom said, grabbing onto the armrest of his chair, tighter and tighter with each passing second, watching them approach at a high rate of speed. The mass of allied fighters began moving, putting some distance between where the fleet would intersect and where the capital ships were. They didn't want to be caught in their own crossfire.

In less than ten seconds, the first fighter reached the front of the Star Destroyer, and began firing at Russ, who was at the very edge of the fighter's maximum range. Blue energy poured forth from three front mounted laser cannons, however, all of his shots missed, as Russ began taking evasive action.

"NOW!" Tom yelled, causing the entire area around his ship became illuminated in green and red plasma, as fighters began exploding like popcorn. Hundreds of turbolaser shots blanketed the area, causing the Jurian fleet to break formation and scatter, but most were getting caught in the hailstorm of turbolaser blasts, making explosion after explosion. Parts flew every which way, pelting every ship with debris and causing visibility to decrease slightly. Piercing screams filled the airwaves as the Jurian fighters were vaporized or completely decimated, as the pilots were thrown out into the vacuum of space.

With the first wave of fighters scattered, Tom's fighters engaged the confused and panicked Jurians, causing an incredible number of explosions, making more debris fly in every direction. Red plasma fired from the rebel type ships as green lanced forth from the imperial style ships, causing bright flashes from the explosions as the unfortunate enemy was destroyed in the time it took to realize it was too late to turn back.

Russ flew after several stray fighters, firing his laser cannons and destroying each of them in a single volley of quad laser bursts. Blue energy brightened his cockpit as some of the Jurian fighters managed to remember their mission to attack his ship, however, Russ's fighter was far too maneuverable, and none of them landed a single shot. But they hardly had a chance anyway. Aeka's ship was nearby, firing at any enemy ship that came within range of her vessel. A handful of fighters took several pot shots at her, but her lighthawk wings rotated to block the deadly energy, doing no harm. Ryo-Ohki fired several blasts, destroying multiple fighters in one shot. The Yagami had gotten involved as well, annihilating several of the opposing craft.

In less than five minutes, the first skirmish was over. Wood and parts from the cockpits littered the surrounding space, as the junk bounced off of the fighters and capital ships. Some chunks of debris began to fall toward the Earth, but they wound up being incinerated before they got even halfway to the ground.

Sitting there in utter shock, Asuza just hung his mouth open, as his crew turned to look at him, horror written all over their faces. Several tried calling his name, but he didn't hear them at all. Never, in his entire life, had he seen a Jurian battlegroup get destroyed so quickly, and by such a small number of ships. Wasn't he supposed to have the most technologically advanced fleet in the entire universe?

"What the hell just happened?" Asuza said, flabbergasted. Zooming in on the enemy fleet, he could see the remains of what was left of the brave men who just sacrificed their lives for him. Burnt, wood chunks drifted lazily around the Star Destroyer, bumping off of the shielding that protected its hull. Checking the battle statistic log, he gasped in horror. Every single one of the fighters he sent over there was destroyed, and not one of the opposing vessels was killed. It seemed almost too unreal to be true.

"Your highness, we have an incoming transmission from the enemy," said a robed man about fifteen feet away from where he was sitting.

Almost not hearing him, Asuza somehow managed to nod his head, as an image of Tom appeared on his screen.

"I highly recommend you stop this foolishness," he warned. "We will not be defeated. Turn around and go home. I do not want to kill any more of your people."

"Murderer," Asuza spat, seething with rage. "You killed five hundred loyal Jurai soldiers and for WHAT? To protect that useless trash that has bewitched my daughter? What kind of people ARE you?"

"You seem to forget that you ordered them to attack us. Did you think that we were just going to sit here and let you KILL US? You're pretty stupid. Do the smart thing and turn around. Go home," Tom ordered, keeping a cool, calm demeanor about him. Every one of his bridge crewmembers also glared at the screen, but Asuza ignored it.

"I will destroy Russ if it is the last thing I do, and I will destroy you too if you continue to get in my way," the emperor snarled. "You are still greatly outnumbered."

"Does it not matter that we just destroyed five hundred fighters out of your fleet and didn't even earn a scratch? Just go home. Aeka will come home on her own. You cannot force her to do something she does not want to do. She's not a little girl anymore," he said.

"She is MY DAUGHTER, and she WILL obey my wishes," Asuza returned, glaring at Tom. "You and her both have no right to challenge one of my decisions."

Tom shook his head. "We can do as we please. Unless you've forgotten, we're not on Jurai, nowhere near a Jurian outpost, and not in Jurian space. You're out of line, and you're going to regret this if you pursue your madness to its final stupidity."

"The Earth is a part of Jurian space," Asuza returned.

"Stop this, father," Aeka said, appearing on a screen next to Tom. "I don't want to fight you!"

Glancing at his daughter, he shook his head. "The only way I'm going to stop this fight is if you come home with me," he answered.

"I've heard enough," Misaki interjected, stepping in front of Aeka. "This battle is over. To all Jurai ships, prepare to leave for Jurai immediately. That's an order."

Asuza stood idly by and watched his crew, but none of them made a move to leave, pack up, or call it quits. Letting a creepy smile on his face, he glanced at the screen once again, eyeing his wife.

"What are you people doing?" Misaki yelled. "I ordered you to leave!"

"It's useless, Lady Misaki," Asuza said, quietly. "The soldiers on every one of these ships are loyal to me, and me only. They will not accept orders from anyone else."

"What have you done?" Misaki said, her tone low and threatening.

"I will have my daughter come home with me. That is my desire, and that is what shall happen," Asuza returned. "Anybody who gets in my way will meet their end."

"This isn't you at all, husband," Misaki replied, looking at him. "What happened to the man I know and love? What father attacks his own daughter? What father doesn't care about his daughter's happiness? If anybody has been bewitched here, it's you."

Asuza shook his head. "No. I see everything clearly. Our daughter left our home several years ago as she dutifully attended the marriage meetings that were arranged, but a distress call brought her to this miserable little planet. Once here, she lived with Tenchi for quite some time, and had begun to fall in love with him. However, Tenchi was of noble blood, and even though I was against their relationship, I allowed it to continue because, and only because, Tenchi is one of us. However, Russ is not and never will be. He is an extinct man, somehow living in this day and age. How my daughter found him attractive, I'll never know, but because he is NOT of Jurai and does NOT have the noble blood within him, he is unacceptable to us as a husband or a suitor."

"No. He's doesn't have noble blood," Misaki admitted. "But he has so much more to offer than that. He doesn't need to have Jurian blood to sit on the throne…."

"Yes, he does," Asuza interrupted. "It is impossible to allow an outsider to rule the most powerful empire in the galaxy. It would result in civil war! Is that what you want?" Asuza yelled, frustrated. "For the good of Jurai and the rest of the universe, I cannot allow Aeka to marry that… that… man!"

"You're being…" Misaki began, but Aeka put a hand on her shoulder, stopping the argument instantly. Looking up at her mother with tear filled eyes, she took in a deep breath, and sighed.

"Father?" Aeka said, letting the tears flow.

Standing tall, proud, and regal, Asuza remained quiet, waiting for what his daughter was going to say. Would she stay, or would she go, or would she think of a compromise?

"I'm sorry for all of this, and I'm sorry for what I'm about to say," she began, looking like she was about to break down and start bawling. "I refuse to come home, and I refuse the throne that has been held for me. I refuse to be the Princess of Jurai any longer, and I refuse to be your daughter," she stated, growing more and more angry and frustrated. "If you will not leave, then I will make you." Turning toward her two guardians, tears in her eyes, she smiled, a strangely satisfied and contented smile. "Attack my father's ship. Power up the guns to maximum, and destroy his ship."

Asuza, upon hearing his daughters words, almost fell to his knees in despair, as he was still unable to figure out why his daughter refused a life of ecstasy, pleasure, and comfort, and to spend it with a man who, for all that he knew, could fight like no other. What made his daughter choose this path?

Misaki, still standing by her daughter's side, looked at her, a frown on her face. Letting out a deep sigh, she shook her head. "I cannot endorse what you're trying to do, Aeka. Family shouldn't be fighting like this. But I will say one thing. Your father is wrong, and because of that, can be exiled for his actions against the family you have adopted. You may do with him as you please, because he is now no longer the Emperor of Jurai."

"WHAT?!" Asuza screamed, scarcely able to believe what he just heard. "You cannot exile me! You cannot overthrow the most politically powerful man in the universe! I'll die before I give up the throne to that monster!"

"If that is the path you choose," Aeka said, causing her ship to move forward, accelerating toward the enemy fleet. "I will help you on your way."

Russ, Ryo-Ohki, Zorpheus, the Yagami, and the entirety of Tom's fleet began to follow Aeka's ship, keeping a loose formation, with her ship in the lead. Her lighthawk wings shone brightly against the blackness of space, as they swiftly made their way to the far side of the moon.

"Aeka! What are you doing?!" Asuza yelled, looking horrified as the enemy fleet approached him. "Stop this madness! You are my daughter!"

"Oh, shut up, Asuza," Russ yelled, having heard enough. "Take your ideals and shove 'em! All you've done is cause Aeka to be upset, and I've had enough of it. I don't want to hear another word of your idealistic shit, because frankly, it makes me and everybody else want to puke. Get the hell away from my home, and my girlfriend!"

Coming ever closer, Russ watched as five lighthawk wings appeared around Asuza's personal cruiser, protecting him from the upcoming bombardment. The surrounding warships moved forward, putting him at the back of the line and defending him further.

Asuza could do nothing more as he watched all of his vessels and the remaining two thousand, five hundred fighters open fire on the enemy, pummeling them with deadly, blue energy. But they continued to advance, with Aeka's ship in the lead. Her lighthawk wings spun and moved around her ship, blocking nearly all of the laser fire directed at her. In an instant, every single vessel was firing at each other, lighting up the area in brilliant light, as Jurai vessels began exploding at a nearly constant rate.

"ALRIGHT! TIME TO ROCK AND ROLL!" Zorpheus yelled, hitting the stereo system in his cockpit, putting on White Reflection from Gundam Wing.

Russ couldn't help but grin, but he too followed suit and loaded up Keep Hope Alive by The Crystal Method.

Launching from the underside of the Star Destroyer, a white cabbit ship joined the fray, causing the warships and fighters to explode in awe-inspiring purple colored laser bombardments.

"Need some help?" Nagi asked, grinning.

"Nagi? When did you get here?" Ryoko asked, stunned.

"I never left," she answered, turning her nose up at once-prey. "Besides, who says you get to have all the fun?"

Ryoko grinned. "I bet I can destroy more ships than you can!"

"Oh? And what do I get when I win?" Nagi responded, grinning even more widely.

Letting an amused smirk on her face, Ryoko thought for a moment, as Ryo-Ohki annihilated a nearby warship. "How 'bout the loser has to be the winner's slave for a week?"

"Works for me," came the answer. "I could use a nice, relaxed vacation and be waited on hand and foot."

"Ready?" Ryoko asked, preparing to keep totals.

"Let's do this," she said, making Ken-Ohki open fire from all sides, watching over a dozen fighters explode from the firespray.

Ryo-Ohki responded by sweeping her laser over a broad section of space, creating a line of explosions as the unfortunate fighters got caught in the deadly beam.

"Flight Group 10, Pilots 1 through 20, follow me! We're going to make an attack run on their smallest capital ship!" the leader of Flight Group 10 yelled, rallying his people. "Pilots 21 through 40, keep us covered. The rest of you pick your targets and destroy them!"

After a few moments, the leaders of the pack responded and took up their positions. Circling around, they hit the throttle, accelerating to attack velocity. Within a minute, they reached the Blockade Runner Avalanche and opened fire, burying it in blue laser beams.

Almost immediately, the top mounted laser turret spun around and targeted the closest attacking ship and fired, destroying it in one shot, causing a large fireball and making debris spread everywhere.

"Keep firing! We have to take out at least one of these ships!" the leader yelled, flying by the Corellian Corvette, putting some distance between himself and the ship to make a second attack run. "Don't give up hope! We are of the most illustrious empire in the universe! We cannot be defeated by rogues like these!"

"Sir! That ship's laser turret is extremely powerful! If everybody concentrates their firepower on it, we might be able to punch through their shields and destroy it!" Pilot 15 suggested, following his leader close behind.

"It's a small target, but I'm willing to try anything!" he responded. "Everyone, concentrate your firepower on the dorsal turbolaser turret! We're going to try to knock out its weapons!"

Two more fighters exploded as they were tracked, targeted, and destroyed by the gunner of the turret. Tracking a third fighter, the corvette fired several times at it, but missed due to the fighter's size and its distance.

"Everybody, fire!" the leader of Group 10 yelled, shooting at the small, but most dangerous part of the ship. "We'll take out the ventral turret next, and then the ship will be easy pickings!"

Within nanoseconds, the turbolaser was bathed in blue energy, slamming it from all sides, weakening the shields around the turret substantially. However, the gunner of the turret was very fast and good at his job, and he managed to destroy another five fighters before they completed their attack run.

"C'mon… c'mon…" the leader mumbled, holding down his trigger and keeping the turret in his gunsights, still pelting it with deadly laser energy. Amazingly, the shields around the turret weakened enough to allow several shots through, scorching the armored metal. Continuing to fire for another moment, and with the combined effort of his wing mates and with the assistance of another flight group that saw what he was trying to do, the turbolaser went up in a big explosion, rocking the corvette and cutting off half of its firepower. Fortunately for the gunner, he survived, as Tom had taken the necessary precautions against an offense such as that.

A massive cheer went up throughout the Jurian flight group, giving the battling group hope and the motivation to continue. "We're not out of the woods yet! We'll do the ventral turret now, and then… AAAAAAHHHHH!!" he screamed, being blown apart by a large barrage of green lasers from the Victory Star Destroyer Precursor, as it moved to protect the Avalanche.

Scattering and trying to evade the dozens of lasers, the remaining attacking ships found themselves washed in green energy, causing explosion after explosion. In less time that it takes to tell, the remaining offensive ships were destroyed.

Moving away from the battle to begin repairs, the Avalanche took up a position just under the rear of the Precursor, and continued to fire from its ventral turret, assisted by the Star Destroyer.

Holding escort position next to the Gray Wolf, the Strike Cruiser Pestilence continued to fire at everything that got within range of its turbolasers. Having destroyed almost fifty fighters at this point, the captain of the vessel was pleased with how well his crew was performing.

Feeling his ship get rocked from the combined firepower of three Jurai warships, he sat back in his chair and watched as his crew combined the firepower of all the available turbolasers onto one warship, bombard it in red plasma, and within twenty seconds, destroy it, and then move on to the next vessel.

"Sir, our shields are at one hundred, twenty three percent and falling slowly. We're taking a lot of shots from the opposition, and we're taking a small amount of friendly fire from the Gray Wolf and surrounding ships as well. At this rate, we may have to retreat within a half hour," Saratome, the first officer, informed the captain.

Grinning, Gene shook his head. "We'll be fine, Saratome. We, in combination with the rest of the fleet, will annihilate these wretched people."

"Yes, sir. However, we're fighting alongside one of those people."

"She is an exception. I like her way of thinking. It's very ambitious, cunning, and highly intelligent. I've always hated certain traditions, as I've felt that a lot of them could use some refining. She is the type of person to exact change, always trying to make something better. Do you understand, Saratome?" Gene asked, stroking his goatee.

Saratome nodded his head, grinning. "I understand perfectly. We will do our very best to defeat our enemy. However, I hope they don't get ambitious themselves and try to track us back home. That could be disastrous, especially if they have as many ships as I think they do."

"No need to worry about that. Our new Super Star Destroyer is a floating fortress of firepower. Even though we're only supposed to defend ourselves, there isn't another civilization alive that could touch it. We're safe from just about everybody," he explained.

"It's not finished yet, sir," Saratome reminded him.

"No, but our leader, Tom, is way ahead of schedule for the completion of it. There will be no problems. We'll make sure of that."

Grinning widely, Saratome turned away from his captain and stood tall, feeling proud to be a part of his crew. "Yes sir. We are the best this universe has to offer. Our way of life is paradise, and I will not give it up for anyone or anything."

"Neither will anybody else who has joined Tom and his way of thinking. Fight on, my men. Do your best. We will win, no matter what."

A huge "Yes Sir!" erupted from everybody who was seated around the bridge, causing both Saratome and Gene to grin, and fill with pride. Feeling their ship get rocked once again from a group of fighters, it didn't last long as each of the top ace gunners tracked the fighters and destroyed them quickly, adding to the floating mass of debris.

"They're everywhere! How are their ships so powerful!?" the pilot of Flight Group 7 Pilot 2 yelled, overwhelmed at how impossible the opposition was.

"Calm down! We still have them outnumbered! Keep firing at the ship you're after! Don't let any get behind you or it's over! Our shields are nothing compared to theirs!" FG7P1 responded, trying to keep from panicking.

"We have to warn Jurai about this threat!" FG7P3 screamed, trying to evade an X-Wing that had just gotten behind him. "They're just too… AHHHHHHHHH!" In an instant, his transmission was cut off as his ship exploded from the deadly, red energy that lanced forth from Tom's forces.

Flight Group Seven's leader, at this point, had almost succumbed to a nervous breakdown, as another one of his best pilots bit the dust. Starting to wonder about the Emperor's decision, he debated on what would've been better. He could either turn tail and run, and probably be killed for cowardice, or surrender, and probably be killed by Misaki, Aeka, or worse, Russ or Zorpheus. Caught between a rock and a hard place, he had no more time to think about it, because a Tie Advanced had spotted him and began shooting at him.

"I must destroy at least one of their fighters before I die," he muttered. Slowing down, the pilot of the Tie Advanced shot past him, but quickly banked away as he fired his laser cannons, pelting him several times before the Tie outmaneuvered his ship. "Damn."

Coming around for another pass, the pilot of the Tie Advanced locked the Jurian fighter in his sights and opened fire, but the opposing fighter was situated in such a way that all the lasers went around his fighter.

"For the emperor, I give my life…" he said, closing his eyes, firing all of his laser cannons and pushing his throttle to maximum, plowing his ship straight into the Tie Advanced, exploding in a mess of wood and other debris. However, his sacrifice was in vain, as the Tie only lost about a third of his shielding.

Flying toward one of the Jurian warships, Gunboat Gamma 2 locked her lasers on one of the supports that held the control center in place and opened fire, causing the wooden support to shatter from the multiple impacts of the green plasma, and making the ship open fire on her fighter. Shaking around from the blasts and keeping a close eye on her shield indicator, she skillfully flew very close to the vessel, and opened fire at another support that was nearby, causing burnt wood splinters to go everywhere, as the support disintegrated.

"These ships have got to be made out of balsa wood or something," she muttered. "Where's the challenge in beating an inferior enemy?"

"Hey, there are still thousands more where these came from," Gamma 1 responded, taking up a position on her right wing. "They probably have ships that are many times more powerful than these cheesy things. Look at the Emperor's cruiser. It doesn't even have a scratch on it yet!"

Glaring out of her cockpit at her wingman, she shook her head. "That's because we haven't been shooting at it, dipshit."

"Well excuuuuuuuuuse me for living!" he shot back, veering off to attack a group of fighters that were firing at Gamma 3. "Why do you have to be so mean?"

"Because I like to be mean!" she yelled, firing her lasers at the last support that held the control unit in place. The laser fire from the ship ceased, as all of its functions were cut off. Swinging around one more time, she switched to her advanced proton torpedo launchers and fired one directly in the center of the unit, causing it to explode into a million pieces, killing everybody inside.

"Damn, you're nuts, Gamma 2," Gamma 1 said, shaking his head. "That's the third warship you've destroyed now."

"That's what I'm out here to do, stupid! And so are you! Get back to work and destroy these ships!" she yelled, frustrated.

"Yes, mother," he answered snidely, firing a torpedo of his own directly into the side of another warship, watching the impact create a massive yellow fireball that broke the ship in half. However, the half that still had the control center continued to fire, unwilling to give up the fight. However, it only lasted a moment as the Frigate Decimator turned its turbolasers onto the crippled vessel and finished it off.

"Thanks for taking all the credit, asshole!" she yelled, gripping her flight stick even tighter. "Ugh! Men! They're so impossible!"

"Oh, shut up already! Cut the chatter," Gamma 4 yelled, chasing around a stray fighter. "We have to force them to turn back or we'll never get out of this!"

"Yes sir," Gamma 1, Gamma 2, and Gamma 3 responded in turn, resuming their various skirmishes.

"Jugio, we still have them outnumbered five to one! If we focus on one fighter at a time, we might have a chance!" the pilot of FG15P3 suggested, firing on a Y-Wing that was currently focused on another warship. His lasers continued to be absorbed by the shields of the bomber, and he realized that he was barely making a dent. Every single time he managed to bring the shields down thirty or forty percent, they'd immediately jump back to where they were in a matter of moments. "Damn that ability to transfer laser energy to shields! These ships are tough!"

"I agree with you, but they're destroying us like we're flying some archaic fighter!" FG15P4 answered, pulling up alongside FG15P3 and firing at the Y-Wing with him. "They have the most advanced craft I've ever seen, but THEY'RE the ones that look archaic! Why do they have computer screens instead of holographic technology? Give me a break!"

"So what! Their ships are simplistic and easy to operate, unlike ours! Our controls are nowhere near as responsive as theirs and there are too many damn options. Who needs twenty levels of laser output? Theirs only have two and it works for them! They can do anything they want right on the fly!" FG15P3 complained. "I don't want to die in this crate! I have my wife and child back at home!"

"You were told not to get involved with her! You knew what you were getting into especially when you became a part of this group!" came the response, sounding completely unsympathetic. "But your wife will probably be very proud of you, even though she'll miss you."

"Thanks, man," he said, following the Y-Wing as it pitched up and away from the warship, preparing for another attack run. "I'm glad I have a friend… AHHHHHHHHHHH!!!" he screamed, as a pursuing Skipray Blastboat blew his ship to pieces.

"Oh my god, Anki!" he yelled, watching the fireball in horror and veering off his attack run on the Y-Wing. "Anki! Are you okay?! ANKI!!!! YOU BASTARDS! I'LL DESTROY…. AAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!" he screamed, as the Skipray Blastboat behind him quickly centered his targeting reticule on his ship and fired, destroying him in a matter of seconds. Static filled the airwaves as the pilot of the Skipray searched for another target.

Sitting quietly in Washu's lab, Funaho, Sasami, Washu, and Katsuhito all watched the battle unfold on a massive, fifty-foot screen that Washu had set up. She had launched orbital satellites around both the Earth and the moon quite some time ago, and it allowed her to get some of the best perspective shots that had ever been recorded. It was better than any action movie any of them had seen before.

They could see Russ dart from fighter to fighter, destroying them very quickly, but he was being blasted a considerable amount, and on more than one occasion, he ducked under the Star Destroyer to recharge his shields. Dozens of Tom's forces had to retreat to a capital ship due to heavy damage, but thousands of Jurian fighters were being destroyed, as if it were a shooting gallery.

The Yagami had destroyed over a hundred fighters, but for the most part, it was pretty much left alone. Tom's Imperial Star Destroyer had taken the brunt of most of the offense, but his ship was still going strong. Washu had calculated his shield energy at seventy three percent and holding, but it still seemed amazing that a ship like that was able to take on the Jurai forces so easily. Ryo-Ohki and Ken-Ohki were dead even at two hundred, thirty eight fighters a piece, and Ryu-Oh was still going strong, but Aeka had only managed to destroy around one hundred, seventy nine fighters. Tom's Star Destroyer had eaten the biggest number of fighters, coming close to seven hundred, and on top of that, he had taken out over thirty warships. But the battle was only about half way finished.

Funaho continued to stare at the atrocity that was being committed by her husband, unable to say anything. She was barely breathing as she held her breath on many occasions, since the excitement level of the battle was staggering. Fighters were swarming everywhere, with green, red, and blue lasers brightening up the sky, and on many occasions, a flood of yellow and red would flash, as a fighter or warship exploded. She couldn't help but feel pity on all of those who sacrificed their lives over something so foolish, but they were only loyal to her husband, and she knew that there was nothing that she could do about it.

"There goes another one," Washu muttered, seeing the Modified Frigate Freelance destroy another warship as if it were a sitting duck. "The wise choice would be to give up. There is no way that the Jurians can face an attack force like Tom's and win. They couldn't even take on Ryo-Ohki or the Yagami."

"Why is father doing this?" Sasami asked, continuing to watch the battle unfold. "Why is he making our people die like this?"

Katsuhito sighed, wondering how to answer his sister's question. "I do not know, Sasami. Your father has always been a proud man, and he has yet to name a successor to the throne. I believe that is why he is so determined to force your sister into finding a, what he would call, a proper suitor."

"But WHY?" Sasami asked, shaking her head. "What is wrong with Russ? How come he can't become the Emperor of Jurai?"

"It's because he was never a part of Jurai, Sasami. Unlike Tenchi, he does not have the Royal Bloodline within him. To us, he is an outsider. Unfortunately, your father discriminates against all those who are not of Jurai, and he does not have an enlightened attitude toward the situation," Katsuhito explained, gently resting his hand on Sasami's shoulder. "Because of this, very few outsiders are welcomed to Jurai, who are not a part of their empire. When we went to the Startica festival, over ninety nine percent of the people who attended came from either colonized worlds, or worlds that were absorbed into the Empire. Those who came who were not a part of that empire, such as Tom and his crew, were treated as outcasts, or people who weren't up to the same level as they feel they are, even though Tom's crew couldn't tell that they were being treated rudely. This is something you'll eventually learn one day, Sasami. Even the people of Earth have feelings of hatred toward those of another country. This entire planet isn't unified. Not in the very least. If you're not of their country or their race, they don't want you around. It's the same way with your father and his treatment of Russ."

"But why do people have to be like that? Why can't everybody love each other for who they are? Why do people have to be so mean and try to kill each other like this?! I don't get it!" she cried, her face glistening with free flowing tears. Her face brightened up with the yellow color of an explosion that took place on the screen, but it quickly faded back to near darkness.

"I… don't know. This is one reason why I never wanted the throne for myself, Sasami," Katsuhito responded, closing his amethyst eyes, reflecting on the way his father had treated Tenchi when he first arrived. 'Yosho got married to that…Earthling… despite my wishes. I don't need his grandson.' Letting out a sigh of disappointment, Katsuhito wrapped his arm around his little sister and held her tightly. "I can only hope that our father can eventually learn the error of his ways."

"I don't think that'll ever come to pass, my son," Funaho said, softly. "Your father has set his ways in stone and he will not even remotely consider someone not of Jurai to take the throne. He was even against Tenchi in the beginning."

"Yes… he was. And he was still against Tenchi up until the end of Aeka and Tenchi's relationship. I don't know if father will ever accept a more enlightened view of those who are not of Jurai," Katsuhito replied, lowering his head, as another yellow burst of light erupted from the screen, signaling the destruction of yet another warship.

"You do realize that it has been Jurai's tradition to hand down the throne to those of Royalty," Washu interjected. "It has been done this way since the beginning of the empire. It is not difficult to understand his viewpoint, but most of us have grown beyond tradition and now embrace change, even if it isn't always for the better."

Funaho and Katsuhito both fell silent, wondering what they could do to make Asuza see and understand their view of the empire as it stood. Things that don't change… die. Just as a business comes out with new products to better benefit the public, if they do not change with the times, their business fails. And they all knew that if the empire didn't change, it was going to die.

"What can we do, auntie?" Sasami asked, looking up into Funaho's forlorn face. "How can we change father's mind?"

Sitting there quietly for a moment, she raised her face at the screen, watching several more Jurian fighters become nothing more than space debris. "Look there, Sasami," she said, pointing at the screen. "Change is taking place right at this very moment."

Looking toward the screen, it took her only a moment to understand the full meaning of what her aunt meant, and she sat back, growing more and more determined to see her father beaten. It was time for a change, and the time for change is now.

"Green five, watch your six!" the pilot of Green two yelled, seeing four Jurai fighters group together and begin pursing his wingman.

"I see 'em!" she responded, pitching her A-Wing upward and toward the Nebulon G Frigate Thundershock. "Help me out if you can! I'll try and outrun them and make them get closer to the frigate!"

"You might not have to," he responded, centering his guns on two of the ships, as they were flying very close to each other. "Eat this, you bastards!" he yelled, squeezing the trigger, causing red plasma to fire from his dual laser cannons. One blast from each gun hit each fighter, but they didn't break off their attack run. Continuing to fire, he watched as they finally broke off, now leaving only two fighters chasing his wingman. Following one of them closely, he opened fire once again, destroying the ship. "One down, three to go!"

"Thank you! Now it's my turn!" she announced, quickly pitching her fighter away from the frigate and causing the two pursing fighters to follow her. However, they were too slow, and in a matter of moments, they found themselves in her line of fire. Switching to her advanced concussion missile launcher, her targeting reticule turned yellow as a beeping sound emitted from the targeting scanner, and after a moment, turned red, indicating a lock. Pulling the trigger, a missile fired from her launcher and streaked directly for the fighter, but it pulled up and tried to evade the missile. Nevertheless, the missile was too fast and too maneuverable and it tracked the enemy's fightpath easily, and then slammed into the rear of the fighter, utterly annihilating it. Switching back to lasers, she began following the second fighter, and after a barrage of lasers, eventually destroyed it.

"Good shot, Green five," he congratulated. "That was some nice flying."

"Thank you sir," she responded, sounding embarrassed.

Both pilots searched for another target, and there were still plenty to choose from.

"We're going to lose this battle, sir," the pilot of FG27P36 said to his flight leader. "We don't stand a chance against these guys."

"Keep quiet! You will keep fighting until the Emperor says not to! He is not to be disobeyed!" his leader returned, angrily.

"What's the point if we're going to lose, sir? We've already lost well over sixty percent of our forces. We're nothing but cannon fodder to them. If we surrender or give up, at least we might have a chance to live," he said, trying to get a lock on a B-Wing that was making an attack run on a warship.

"Are you a coward?!" Russo yelled, becoming flustered. "No surrender, no retreat! We will give our lives to the Emperor as we were meant to do!"

"No, I'm not a coward. But I think I'm making more sense than the Emperor."

"TRAITOR! If you do not continue fighting, I'll destroy you myself!"

"Dammit, listen to me! We CAN'T WIN! We're going to die if we keep fighting… we're going… AAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!" he screamed, as his flight leader got behind him and fired, destroying his own wingman.

"Let this be a lesson to you all," Russo said, broadcasting to everybody in his flight group. "You will keep on fighting, as you have already given your lives to Jurai and the Emperor. You will die in glory, not cowardice. If you turn tail and run, I'll hunt you down and kill you myself. Is that understood?"

Silence greeted his ears over the radio until another scream filled the cockpit as another one of his wingmen just in front of him blew apart from red laser fire. On the communications system, audio only, an obnoxious male voice crowed, "GAZE IN AWE UPON THE AMAZING KUTARO NANBARA!"

A vein bulged out of Russo's forehead. "Just who ARE these idiots?!"

Flying toward another fighter, the pilot of one of the YT-1300 Corellian transports opened fire, destroying it messily, as the two other gunners in the quad laser turrets fired at two pursing fighters, destroying them quickly.

"Yeeee haaaw!" Gordon shouted, watching his kill count climb. "Ain't this some great shootin, muh friends?!"

"Yessir! I haven't had this much fun in years!" Rich yelled back, as he swung his turret around to shoot at a fighter above the transport.

"This is too easy," Nanbara complained. "I need a challenge! These fighters explode in one volley! Good grief, I'm surprised they can even fly through space without falling apart! What kind of joke are these things?"

"Qwit yer complain 'in, son!" Gordon returned, grinning. "We gots ourselves these here job tuh do, and we gonna do it until it's done!"

Getting another unfortunate victim in his sights, Rich swiftly opened fire as the fighter passed by, pelting it continually until it exploded in another fireball. "Yeah! I got another one!"

"Duh," Nanbara taunted. "The stupid fighters are so big and bulky, not to mention slow, that it'd be an embarrassment if you missed one."

"Aw, c'mon! Have a little fun here! Youse guys are doin great! We still have ourselves lots more targets tuh choose from. How 'bout we go take on one of them there warships?" Gordon invited, looking at one of the vessels looming overhead, as it started to fire off blue lasers in their direction.

Nanbara grinned. "Now that should be fun. Fly behind it so we can cut off its control center! It should be easy pickings after that!"

"Man, you guys are nuts. Tom told us that we shouldn't be taking any kind of stupid risks, remember?" Rich reminded them.

"Give me a break. These paper ships won't stand a chance against a Corellian transport equivalent to the Millennium Falcon!" Nanbara said, getting motivated. "Let's do this!"

"Youse got it!" Gordon yelled, as the three of them felt the transport pick up speed and pitch directly toward the warship.

Firing his laser cannons, Gordon blasted the middle of the ship, while Nanbara and Rich fired at other parts, trying to blow off the support structures that held the control unit in place. It didn't take long, and soon, the supports disintegrated from the combined fire of Nanbara, Rich, and Gordon.

"One support down, three to go!" Rich yelled, still firing at the much larger vessel. Finally getting a clear view of the second support, he rotated his turret and squeezed his trigger, causing red plasma to fire from his quad laser turret. Just below him, more red erupted from Nanbara's turret, hammering on the support beam. In a few moments, another support exploded, severing more connections with the main hull of the ship.

"Hey! The thang qwit shootin at us!" Gordon said, finishing the flyby. Getting about a kilometer away, he swung around to make one final pass at the disabled warship, and began firing at it from his front mounted laser cannon. That, in combination with the dual quad laser turrets, the control unit quickly had a hole blown in its side, and as a result, the entire unit exploded, taking over half of the ship with it.

"Aw yeah! That 'ought to earn us some bonus points with Tom!" Nanbara yelled, gleefully.

"I'm buyin da beer when we gets back!" Gordon yelled

"YEAH!" both Nanbara and Rich yelled, extremely pleased with their performance.

Quickly finding a group of fighters, the Comet flew toward them, guns blazing.

Watching another one of their proud warships become nothing more than space debris, the cause of the Carrack Cruiser Dragons Teeth's red laser blasts, the captain of the Nagaru-oh drummed her fingers on the armrest of her chair, growing more and more concerned at their inability to inflict any kind of damage on the opposing fleet. Tom's fighters were able to take on their capital ships and not get a scratch, but their forces almost couldn't get near their warships without being destroyed. Even their own capital ships were succumbing to the thousands of laser blasts from the enemy. It just seemed like something out of a bad dream.

"Ma'am, we've lost our sister ship, the Nagari-oh. We're the only one left in our battle group. What are your orders, ma'am?" First Officer Hibiki informed his captain.

Sitting there in silence, currently out of range of the battle, she closed her eyes, and thought long and hard about what she should do. The rest of the bridge crew stopped and watched her, worried and concerned for their lives and the outcome of the battle.

"Ma'am?" Hibiki asked again. "We are in your hands now. What will you have us do?"

"Hibiki. Do you have a family back home?" Amaro asked, looking serious, but depressed.

"Uh… no, ma'am. I'm single," he answered, surprised.

"I see. Why did you come onboard my ship? Why are all of you here?" she asked, looking around at her bridge crew.

Feeling extremely nervous now, Hibiki looked down at the floor, unsure of what she was getting at. "I joined the Royal Imperial Navy because I had nothing else to do and nowhere to go. I don't know if I joined for all the wrong reasons, but it seemed to be the only alternative left to my life. I wanted to be the best there was, and that is why I'm a part of this ship and its crew."

The helmswoman stood up, looking stern and proud. "I joined because I love my home and I want to protect it from our enemies. I feel that it is a very proud and prestigious job to have, and I too, wanted to be the best. That is why I'm here."

Next, the science officer took a step toward the captain, feeling tall and proud. "I joined this ship because I heard it was the best in the fleet. I had already made a career in the military, and after rising through the ranks, I had a choice of which ship I wanted to go to, and I picked this one. I want to defend our home from our enemies. That is what makes me feel good, and that is what makes me happy and proud, ma'am."

Lastly, her communications officer got to his feet. "I'm here for almost the same reasons Hibiki is here for. I have no family and I have no life outside of the military, so I wanted to be the best-damned officer the Jurian forces ever had. I'm here because I want to be here. I have no desire to be anywhere else, and I'm ready to give my life for my home. This is why I'm here with everybody."

Amaro closed her eyes once again, and after taking in a deep breath, she held it for a moment, and then released it all at once. Reopening her eyes, she looked at each of her bridge crew in turn, taking in their profound, determined, and respectful faces, imprinting those in stone within her mind.

"Are you all prepared to give your lives for our home of Jurai?" she asked, quietly. "Are you all willing to do whatever it takes to bring victory to our people?"

"Yes ma'am!" everybody shouted, awaiting her order.

Letting a smile on her lips, and letting a tear escape from her eye, she let out a deep sigh. "Abandon ship. I am going to ram the Imperial Star Destroyer Gray Wolf with the Nagaru-oh. I pray that our sacrifice will help bring us victory."

Nobody moved as they looked at her with unchanging expressions.

Cocking her eyebrow suspiciously, she became concerned. "What are you doing? I said to abandon ship. There is no sense in having all of you parish with me. It only takes one to ram this ship into theirs. You will all live to fight on some other time. My time is over. I will do whatever it takes to bring us victory."

"No, ma'am. We will not leave," Hibiki stated, a look of sheer determination on his face. "One person is not enough to run this ship. We will stay with you until the bitter end. We knew when we came onboard one of the most elite ships in the fleet that there would be risks. We're not afraid to die at your side. We will ram the Nagaru-oh into the Gray Wolf. We are willing to die at your side in glorious battle."

"This is insubordination," she said, her voice wavering. "I could have you stripped of rank for this atrocity."

Hibiki grinned. "No you won't," he countered, softly. "We're all in this together. We have one final job to do, and we will do it."

"Yes Sir!" the remaining bridge crew resounded, taking their seats.

"Just give us the order, ma'am," Hibiki said, standing tall.

Looking around her bridge at the most awesome crew she ever had command over, her expression became that of pure determination. "Accelerate to maximum velocity. Target the Gray Wolf's bridge. Open fire once we get in range, and don't stop for anything. If you have prayers to say, say them now. We're going to ram them."

The bridge fell silent for a moment as the ship rumbled to life, accelerating as it flew on a crash-course with the Gray Wolf. In a minute, it opened fire with its many gunports, slamming the bridge of the ISD with deadly, blue energy. The capital ship began to return fire, as their ship shuddered massively with each impact of their turbolasers. In a few seconds, holes were being blown through nearly every surface of the ship, but they continued to press onward. Watching the size of the bridge become larger and larger in their viewer, their proud warship, the Nagaru-oh, made its final attack run on the enemy, and smashed itself straight into the bridge of the opposing ship, exploding in a huge fireball, causing wood splinters and other debris to go everywhere, as the ship destroyed itself from the impact, causing the whole crew to sacrifice their lives for something they believed in. It was the most proud and noble moment for their entire crew, and their ship, the Nagaru-oh.

"How are you doing, Zorph!?" Russ yelled, destroying yet another fighter as his Tie Defender shook from all the impacts of the surrounding fleet. "I just killed my hundred, fifty sixth fighter!"

"I'm on a hundred, forty one!" Zorpheus yelled back, targeting another fighter and pulling the trigger, watching deadly, red energy spew forth from his gunports, annihilating yet another enemy vessel. "They just keep right on coming!"

"Mow 'em down!" Russ responded, centering his targeting reticule on one of the fighters that was pursuing him and firing, watching the green plasma slam into the opposing ship, blowing off several chunks as it flew by, and then exploded. "Remember doing this in X-Wing Alliance?"

Zorpheus laughed. "Yeah! Except this is much more fun! I'm not dying like crazy like I always did in that game!"

"Keep it up, Zorph! We're over seventy percent done with their forces and we have yet to lose a fighter or capital ship!" Russ crowed, looking for another target.

"Yeah, but the corvettes had to move to the back of the line because they were getting hammered too much. Their shields are pretty low!"

"I know. I wonder why these people are not surrendering. It's so obvious that they can't beat us!" Russ said, watching another warship explode from the Dreadnaught Odyssey's turbolasers. "There is going to be nothing left! Do you realize how many people we've killed?"

"Not as many you or I did in one time. Remember how many you killed when Laurie died? You practically destroyed the planet!" Zorpheus said, feeling his ship lurch from multiple impacts from behind. Swinging around, in a mere five seconds he had the pursuing ship in his gunsight as he pulled the trigger and began blasting it, causing it to explode in less than three seconds. "Of course, I've nearly destroyed planets too because of some things that were done to me."

"Huh? Like what?" Russ asked, pulling up alongside Zorpheus's Toscan Fighter.

Zorpheus fell silent for a moment, but he chuckled. "I can't tell you that. It's a personal secret."

Finding his response surprising, Russ scratched the back of his head for a moment, until his ship wound up spinning out of control from a massive impact. "What the hell was that?!" Russ yelled, quickly regaining control and dumping all of his laser energy into his shields, bringing them up to a hundred, thirteen percent. "Where did that blast come from?"

"Shit. That blast came from the Emperor's ship. He's firing these weird orange balls at you, and that thing didn't even hit you directly. It just clipped you and exploded!" Zorpheus described, looking at the massive cruiser, as it fired another volley at them.

Quickly splitting up, Russ turned around and headed back toward Tom's ship, as the massive, orange ball exploded where he was a moment ago. The shockwave rocked his fighter around a bit, but his shields didn't lose any strength. "We're going to have to disable that thing!"

"Why don't we just annihilate it?" Zorpheus said, grinning. "I think killing him would do the universe a favor."

"No. We can't kill Aeka's father! God, I'd feel horrible if I killed him and then went back to her, even if she ASKED me to do it," Russ answered, shuddering.

"Hmmm… no, I guess not," Zorpheus answered. "But I'VE got no problem doing it!" he yelled, and then started laughing like crazy.

"No, you won't," Tom's voice announced, as his visage popped up on one of the internal monitors of both Russ and Zorpheus's fighters. "We're going to disable them, but at the moment, we're waiting for him to just give it up. We'll keep destroying his fleet until he finally realizes that he's not going to get his way. He reminds me a friggin spoiled brat."

"He's just an ass," Zorpheus muttered, glaring at the screen. "He deserves to have his teeth kicked down his throat."

"You'll get no argument from me on that sentiment," Tom responded, grinning. "But we cannot kill Aeka's father. It would cause a massive uproar on Jurai to have the emperor of their planet killed in a skirmish here at Earth. I don't have the resources to defend this planet and I don't want to involve the people of Earth in an interstellar war, especially when they barely have the means to explore their own solar system."

"I guess you're right. But that's not going to stop me from walking onboard that ship and knocking him out," Zorpheus growled, looking up at the massive cruiser. Orange balls continued to fire at a slow and steady rate, but fortunately, everybody's fighters were too small, fast, and maneuverable and were able to avoid the blasts easily enough. "This guy is a real piece of work."

"The only one who is going to slap my father around is me," Aeka announced, appearing next to Tom in split screen mode. "Once I slap him silly, then it'll be your turn," she said, smiling.

Zorpheus grinned widely and started laughing. "You're so perfect," he said. "Russ found such a perfect match… I'm jealous."

Aeka stuck her tongue out at Zorpheus and give him a little raspberry, but smiled afterward. "I'm Russ's and only Russ's. Don't you dare try hitting on me or I'll kick you where the sun doesn't shine."

"I know, I know. I'm just playing, sheesh," Zorph answered, rolling his eyes. "Everybody is so serious nowadays."

"Says who? I'm having fun here," Russ interjected, blowing apart another fighter. "But this shouldn't last too much longer."

"I hope not. I do not like killing my own people, but I'm going to have my way for a change. I'm sick of listening to my father's traditions and ideals, and I can't stand being ordered around like a little kid anymore. I want my own life, not the life he wants for me."

Russ smiled, feeling very proud to have such a strong woman with him at his side. "I don't blame you one bit, Aeka. Let's finish this. It shouldn't take much more. Over seventy five percent of his fleet has been destroyed. If he's not too stubborn, he'll stop this fight and save the lives of the people who are fighting for him."

"I don't believe he will. He'll fight until the last ship is destroyed, even though none of your forces have been killed," she said, looking at Russ, Tom, and Zorpheus. "You've trained your crew well, Tom. If I were the Princess of Jurai, I would reward you handsomely. I'm in debited to you forever."

Tom smiled. "Seeing you and Russ together is more than enough to make me happy, and the rest of the crew happy. I'm proud to be your friends, and friends help each other in their time of need."

"But this is above and beyond what friendship would normally do," Aeka said in response. "Over fifty of your fighters were heavily damaged and your corvette class ships are about to lose their shields. And you didn't have to do this for me."

"You didn't even have to ask, Aeka," Russ said, smiling. "These are the kinds of friends that people would kill to have, and I'm very proud to be friends with Tom and his crew. They're the best."

"Quit fueling my ego, Russ," Tom muttered, snickering. Another explosion erupted in front of Tom, as his ship blew apart another one of the opposing forces vessels. "You and I go way back and frankly, there is no way in hell that I would've missed a chance to test out my fleet in battle like this. I'm really happy with the performance of my ships and the crew that pilots them."

"Okay, enough of this mushy stuff," Zorpheus complained, zipping under the Star Destroyer, chasing down another fighter, however, his target was blown apart by one of the YT-2000 transports just before he acquired a target lock. "Hey! That was MY kill!"

"Heh, heh, and I take all the credit!" the pilot crowed, chasing down a small group of enemy fighters. The gunners of the two quad turbolaser turrets locked their targeting scopes on the nearest ones and fired, blowing them to pieces easily. "And there goes two more!"

Zorpheus growled an obscenity to himself as he cycled through his targeting scanner, trying to find the closest target. "I wish I had some missiles or torpedoes onboard," he complained again.

"You want a reload?" Tom asked.

Sighing to himself, Zorpheus shook his head. "Nah. I can finish the rest of these losers with lasers. Even the capital ships don't stand much of a chance against one of our fighters."

"Suit yourself," Tom stated, checking a statistical readout of the battle. "Over ninety percent of their fleet has now been destroyed. Only twenty nine warships and three hundred thirty fighters remain!"

"Tom, cease fire," Aeka asked, having an idea.

"Excuse me? Why?" came the concerned response.

"If I'm not mistaken, they'll probably cease fire as well. I think it's time to try to negotiate with my father again." Standing tall, Aeka glared at her father's cruiser, which was still trying to blast the surrounding ships.

"Okay. We'll do it for a few minutes. If they continue to fire, we'll just disable the rest of their fleet. I think there has been enough death today," Tom replied, keying a command to broadcast to every single ship in the vicinity, both allied and enemy. "This is Tom to all ships. Cease fire. Repeat. Cease fire. All fighters, return to your designated capital ship, but hold an escort position around it. Repeat. All hands cease fire."

In a matter of moments, all green and red lasers that lanced forth from the various ships and fighters disappeared, as they all continued to take evasive action, avoiding the blue lasers from Jurai. But that only lasted a few additional moments, as the enemy too, ceased firing. For a moment, a deathly calm settled across the battlefield, as all vessels kept their guns trained on each other, ready to resume the battle if an order was given.

"What are you all doing?!" Asuza yelled, watching as all of his ships stopped fighting. "I never ordered you to stop! Keep firing! Destroy them all!"

"Your highness? It is obvious that we do not stand a chance against their fleet. We've lost two hundred, seventy-one warships and thousands of fighters. I believe they want to negotiate now. I don't doubt that they'll ask an unconditional surrender, or we'll be destroyed. Even our Royal ship doesn't stand a chance against a force like that," Sentaro, Asuza's first officer, informed him.

"COWARDS!" Asuza roared, clenching his fists at his sides. "How dare you disobey your Emperor and King! I demand that you open fire on their ships! Destroy them all!"

"We will not," came Sentaro's response. "We've lost far too much, and at the moment, we have a chance that we will be spared."

"Naurice! Take Sentaro to the brig immediately! He is a traitor!" Asuza bellowed, thrusting his finger at his first officer.

She didn't move as she looked worriedly at both her Emperor and his first officer. Unable to decide what she should do, she remained in place, with sweat beading on her forehead as her stress level skyrocketed.

Watching her angrily, he quickly lost his patience. "I told you to arrest this man," came Asuza's order. "Are you a traitor too? Do you want to join him in the brig?"

"Your highness, we have an incoming transmission from Aeka's ship," Sentaro stated flatly, turning away from his King. "Putting it on screen."

"It's time to stop this foolishness, father," came Aeka's chilling voice, as the entire bridge stopped and watched the negotiation begin. "You're sacrificing our people in a battle that they cannot win. I never thought you'd do something like this to them. I pity you, father."

"Save your pity for someone who cares," Asuza spat, his face turning beet red. "I will come out of this victorious! To all ships, resume fighting! Destroy them!"

"I'm afraid that they've finally come to their senses, father," Aeka responded, looking at him with disgust written all over her face. "I do not want to destroy any more of our people, and they do not want to die for an old and outdated tradition."

"I told you, I will not have that man touching you in any way, and you will come home to resume your duties as the crown princess!" Asuza bellowed, stubbornly.

"I will not," she stated flatly, tired of her father's charade. "I've already taken off my crown and thrown it at your feet. The only way I will come home with you is if Russ comes too. I will not leave his side for any reason, no matter what anybody may say. The only one who could tell me to go would be Russ himself, and even then, I wouldn't listen to him. He's mine, forever."

"This cannot be… Aeka, why?" he asked, completely unable to comprehend what has been going on.

"Because I love him," she responded, smiling. "I love him more than life itself. And I know you know that too, father."

Closing his eyes, he took in a deep breath, and let it out slowly. Reopening his eyes and surveying the incredible amount of wreckage from his once proud fleet, for the first time in his life, he knew he was beaten. However, he continued to deny himself, and told himself that he could still win.

"Aeka," he began. "I've already explained to you why you must come home with me. Your brother already failed me as my son, and I will not have my daughter do the same. You will be the leader of the most powerful empire in the known universe. Do you really want to just throw it all away? Does it not matter to you? Do your mother and I not matter to you?" he asked, frustrated and beaten. "You hurt your father's feelings, Aeka. I do not see what you find so attractive about Russ. He is nothing compared to you. Tenchi was nothing compared to you. Nobody can hold a candle to you, but the men I chose for your marriage meetings could at least benefit us in some form or another. I love you, Aeka, and I want only the best for you. Second best isn't good enough for you, your mother, or the Empire of Jurai."

"I know. But you still don't take my feelings into account. I'm a person, just like you are, and I have my own feelings and emotions that I have to deal with. I'm not a doll and I'm not a thing to be given to someone else. I have the freedom to make my own choices, and that is what I'm going to do from now on," she said, proudly. "I choose Russ, and he chooses me, and that's what I want. Nothing else matters to me. Not the Empire, not the material things you find so attractive, not a fleet of ships, and not how many planets we can add to our overabundant collection. All I want is happiness with a man that I love, and that is what I've found."

"Do you know what will happen if I return to Jurai without you?" Asuza asked, looking his daughter right in the eye.

"No, but I have a pretty good guess," Aeka stated, looking away. "I would be exiled for not doing my duty to Jurai. And if I came home with Russ, there would most likely be civil war. There are still people stuck in the past like you, father, but then there are those of us who are ready to embrace change, no matter how it benefits or hurts the empire. You still do not realize what kind of an asset Russ would pose to us by himself. He doesn't need material things to bring with him. He's the most powerful warrior in this universe, and there wouldn't be another who could touch him," she said, reiterating that fact once again. "And he loves me. He would never allow me to come to any harm, and he will always stand by my side, even if we disagree with each other. He is a find like no other. He's perfection."

Again, Asuza closed his eyes, allowing himself to relax. Reopening them once again, he looked at his daughter, who looked so proud, regal, and strangely enough, happy. It had been a while since he saw her smile like that, and he forgotten what it was like to feel the same way. The stress of running his empire was bearing down on his soul and mind, and it was ruining him.

What his daughter had said did make a lot of sense, even though he knew he didn't want to admit it. He has upheld the traditions of Jurai since the beginning of his reign, and those traditions have served the empire well since the beginning. However, the ideals did seem outdated, but he never questioned them, even when he felt they were silly. He was always told what his place was, and that he was in no position to challenge it in any way, shape, or form. He was raised with an ironclad set of rules that were never meant to be broken, and that idealism was instilled in him at a very young age… much younger than Aeka was at the time. But now, his daughter was fully-grown and mature, and because of his lax attempt to instill those same ideals into her, she now stood at opposition to him. It was his own fault that she turned out the way she did. He had nobody to blame but himself, however, what she had said were questions that he had raised, but never voiced, as a child. Now confronted with the same situation, he wondered how he should respond to it.

"Aeka… I had raised the same questions when I was much younger than you," he began, taking on a calm, cool demeanor. "I never asked them, but I followed the rules of our tradition without ever voicing my own opinion of them. That was the way I was raised. That is the only way I know what is right and wrong. I was taught it was wrong to question the ways of tradition, so I followed them obediently. When I broke one of those rules, I was severely punished, so I never even considered breaking those rules." Taking another deep breath, he looked at his daughter, and smiled. "You were such a good little girl while you were growing up. You always did as you were told and you never objected to anything that we taught you, so I never instilled the repercussions of you breaking the rules. That is my own fault. But at the time, it never was needed because you were so perfect. That is why I cannot figure out why, after all these years, you just suddenly changed your mind about everything that you were taught. Why, Aeka? Why have you forsaken Jurai Tradition, your home, and me? What made you decide that our way was old, outdated, and archaic?"

Standing there in silence for a moment, Aeka looked up at her father on the viewscreen, and chose her words carefully. "I was never subjected to another person outside of Royalty, father. I was always treated as a princess, to be untouched, and unspoiled. I almost never went out among the common people, as I was kept away from them for most of my life. I had very little freedom in whatever I did, so I didn't question anything," she explained, looking downcast. "I was never, ever treated as a person in my life until I met Tenchi. He was the first one who ever smiled at me from his heart, and who didn't care that I was the princess of the most powerful empire in the universe. He wasn't interested in a throne or in treating me like I was untouchable, but instead, he showed me friendship and kindness unlike anything that I had ever experienced back at home. It had made me very happy, and that is what made me want to stay with him. That, and the fact that he wasn't interested in me, intrigued me. I was accustomed to being sought after, as I was always showered in gifts and the like, but Tenchi didn't do any of that. Not only that, but I never had any competition, like I did with Ryoko. It was a challenge and it was fun. I fell in love with this small, backwater planet and its people. It was the first time I had lived as a person, and not a princess. That is something that gave me true happiness, and I don't want to give it up for anything. Not for a throne, not for any amount of ships or jewelry, and not for any person, including you, father."

Letting a low growl escape his throat, Asuza closed his eyes, taking in his daughter's explanation and trying to make sense out of the whole thing. "So you're saying you like being a mere human, who has to work for a living, who has to do everything on her own, and who has to perform the tasks meant for slaves, rather than live in the lap of luxury that your family could provide you with? I don't understand it," he muttered, shaking his head. "I don't understand it at all. I wouldn't be caught dead performing the work of maids or slaves. That is what they're meant to do, and we're meant to lead our empire to greatness. Why you want to give that up, I'll never know, and even though you have explained it all to me, it still makes no sense. I'm not convinced you'll be happy here. You won't get to see or do anything that a princess of our home would see or do, and you won't be able to affect the decisions that guide our empire. You want to be a commoner, and I cannot understand why. You're just giving everything up to stay with a man who can only offer you himself and nothing more. Aeka, there are thousands of men out there who are willing to do the same thing, and provide us with so much more. Why haven't you taken one of them?"

"Because it's all a lie," Aeka returned, sourly. "Did you ever stop to think that the princes or princesses who stoop and kiss your hand actually admire you, or want to kill you? Do you think you EVER see their true feelings? You're living a lie, father. I do not want that for myself, no matter what I get in return as an offering. I want someone who is completely honest with me, and Russ does that for me. I never have to guess what he's feeling because he lets it show, or tells me. I can sense his feelings too, where I couldn't with any one of those wretched suitors. They'd bend down and kiss my hand and tell me I'm the most beautiful girl in the universe. Father, do you know how many times I've had that line said to me? Out of fifty suitors, I believe forty-seven had said it. Do you know how fake that line is? Even if I weren't pretty or beautiful, do you think they'd say something else? Probably not. I'd be living a lie, and I want no part of it. At least when Russ tells me I'm beautiful, I can SEE that he means it. He has opened himself up to me and it's the most wonderful feeling I've ever had in my entire life, and I'm not about to give it up."

Tapping his foot and listening to her, he considered all the meetings he had with the other royal family members from other divisions within his empire. On occasion, he could recall where an introduction or two felt entirely false, especially with what they had originally come to dispute with him. It didn't matter how mad they were, they always hid it behind a mask of friendliness and humility.

"You know, Aeka, I believe you. Yes, I too have sensed when an introduction was false or when the other person was hiding something. But I was always able to sense it. That's one of the abilities you gain from being a leader of an empire. You get to be an excellent judge of character," he explained, calmly. "I have seen Russ, and I have judged him as well, and I do not like the impression he has provided me with. I tried…"

"You've only met with Royals. You wouldn't even let a commoner into the palace, father," Aeka snapped, interrupting him. "You never gave any of them a chance. There are a lot of good people who you turn your nose up at, and you hurt them. The only reason you don't like Russ is because he isn't filthy rich. But you know what? Money isn't everything. Money cannot buy happiness! I'm happier than I have ever been here, and we hardly spend anything. I'm happy without the money! This is what I want, and this is where I'm going to stay, whether you like it or not. Go home to your empire, father. You and I will never see eye-to-eye."

Clenching his fist at his side, Asuza hung his head in shame. "You're right," he answered, quietly. "You're absolutely right. I never dealt with the petty commoner before I had met Russ. They disgust me. They're not in the same class as ourselves, and further still, he's not of Jurai."

"Stop right there!" Aeka yelled, flustered. "That's the entire problem right there! You look down on others rather than help them! Do you realize that over ninety percent of our planet falls into the commoner class!? Do you?! You rule over so many people and deal with only a small handful of them. Why? Is it because they have money? Father, you make me ill just thinking about it. Go home. I don't want to speak to you anymore until you change your ways. Tradition? Hah! It's so old, outdated, and archaic that it shouldn't even be renovated. It needs to be discarded and started fresh and new. You need to learn to deal with EVERYBODY before being a great leader. Just go home!" she shouted, turning away from the monitor, infuriated.

Gazing at his daughter in silence, he finally turned his eyes away from the monitors and looked at the rest of his bridge crew, taking in each of their expressions. Some looked apathetic, some looked angry, and others didn't look at him at all. Never, in his entire illustrious reign over Jurai, had he ever received distain or disgust from any of the people he ruled over… or was it because they didn't allow him to see it? Now that he thought about it, he really never associated with the military either. They were just there for him whenever he needed them. They submitted their loyalty to him without question, and he never took their feelings or ideals into account. And now, thinking about it a little more, he realized that he WAS standing with commoners. They weren't royalty. They weren't a part of the Royal Family. However, they were of Jurai. But still, he really never dealt with them directly before. Could it be that Aeka was right? Was she really able to see through all of the facades that she was presented with? And further still, was she a better judge of character than he was?

"Aeka?" he said, hanging his head in defeat. "Forgive me, Aeka." Turning his attention to the rest of the fleet, he let out a heavy sigh, and for once in his life, admitted defeat. "All ships, stand down from red alert. We're going home. As soon as Misaki and Funaho come onboard, we shall depart for Jurai," he said, informing the remaining scraps of his once proud fleet.

Upon hearing the announcement, an enormous cheer went up throughout all of Tom's forces, the Yagami, Ryo-Ohki, and Ryu-Oh. The airwaves were flooded with massive cheers and yells of enthusiasm and pride, as they had fought and won their first battle ever. It was utterly amazing at how well their forces performed, as they didn't lose a single ship, even though some were heavily damaged. Not one person lost their life fighting for Russ and Tom. It was truly a miraculous outcome. The gods must've been on their side for a result like this one, and they felt very proud and happy.

"WE WON!" Tom shouted, grabbing a nearby Champaign bottle. "Break out the booze! We're partying late tonight!" Shaking the Champaign and popping the cork, the liquor sprayed everywhere as everybody onboard succumbed to the celebration.

"Congratulations to everybody!" Tom shouted, broadcasting to the entire allied fleet. "Congratulations on a completely radical and amazing performance. I'm proud of each and every one of you. Stand down from red alert, and go get drunk! We're going to have a big party at Tenchi's house!"

"What?!" Tenchi yelled, suddenly flustered. "I can't handle this many people at my house!"

Tom laughed. "We'll manage somehow! All ships, take up a stationary orbit above Tenchi's home and cloak your ships. Feel free to join the festivities down on the surface or enjoy yourselves in the mess halls or observation decks. We'll leave tomorrow as soon as everybody overcomes his or her hangovers," he said with a laugh.

"Ahhh, this is GREAT!" Larry said, standing next to Tom. "I can't believe we didn't lose any ships at all!"

"I didn't expect to lose any, Larry," Tom returned, grinning. "We have the best crew anybody could ever ask for, but granted, this was our very first battle and we did awesome in comparison to the opposition. I mean is all of this debris is from THEIR ships! What a mess."

"Yeah. Still, this is a great step forward for us. I'm proud to be a part of your crew. Thank you."

"Yeah, yeah," Tom mumbled, tossing him a beer. "Go enjoy yourself. I'm going down to the surface to congratulate Russ, Zorpheus, and their extended family. I leave the ship in your care, Larry. I better not see any puke in my chair when I get back either," he teased, standing up and making his way to the lift.

"Yes sir! Enjoy yourself!" Larry called after him, watching Tom disappear behind the doors.

"This is wonderful," Ryoko said, sitting back in her chair, breathing a sigh of relief. "I wasn't sure we were going to pull it off, but we did it."

Tenchi stood next to his fiancée, resting his hand on her shoulder. "Yes, we did it. I can't believe all the people that rallied behind Russ and Aeka in their show of support. This was truly amazing. I'm so happy for the two of them."

"Me too, Tenchi," she said, pulling him down and kissing Tenchi tenderly on the lips. "What do you say we go down and enjoy ourselves, hmmm?"  
Grinning, he nodded his head. "Yeah. I'm sure we're going to be partying for the rest of the day and all through the night. I don't know what we're going to do about food and booze though."

Ryoko laughed. "I'm sure Tom has a plan for that. Ryo-Ohki! Let's go home!"

Meowing enthusiastically, the crystalline vessel began to make its way back to the Earth, following the mass of other fighters that were making their way to the planet. The Jurian fleet remained stationary behind the moon, taking a headcount and tallying up the deaths of their people.

Collapsing down onto the wooden floor of her ship, her body wrought with exhaustion from the tension and stress of the battle, Aeka looked out of her viewer at the fleet, and sighed in happiness. For once in her life, she was allowed to do what she pleased, where tradition and rules no longer mattered. It was a wonderful feeling, almost as if she were set free from her bindings. She knew that possibly one day she'd return home, but that particular day was in the distant future. There was too much to do and too much to see with Russ, and because of that, she decided that she didn't want to return home until Russ was ready to go with her. Even though he didn't want a throne, there always was the potential that he might change his mind. Maybe if she worked on him for a little while…

"Aeka dear?" Misaki asked, coming up to her, a smile on her face.

Turning toward her and smiling, Aeka grabbed her mother in a tight hug, letting the tears stream happily down her cheeks. "Thank you, mommy. I couldn't have done it without you."

Misaki smiled, looking down on her daughter's head. "You're welcome, Princess of Jurai," she responded, squeezing her tightly. "I love you more than anything Aeka, and I'd do anything for you. You are my daughter and I'm proud of you for what you've accomplished today."

"I'm so happy that you stood by my side. I was so worried that you wouldn't see my point of view and would take father's side. What made you come to me instead?" she asked, holding her mother.

"Aeka," she responded, softly. "I could never understand why your father behaved the way he did toward both Tenchi and Russ. It's almost as if your feelings didn't matter, and I really didn't like that. We've been fighting over you and Russ ever since you brought him to the Startica Festival. We kept trying to make him see it your way, but he was stubborn. I guess this slap to the face was more than enough to make him realize the error of his ways. I hope he becomes a better man because of this."

"I hope so too. I just wish we didn't kill so many of our people. They were the most loyal soldiers in our entire regiment, and now over ninety percent of them are dead. Tsunami, bless their souls," Aeka said, taking a step back from her mother as she wiped the tears from her eyes. "I hope we never have another battle like this one. This was just too hard on all of us."

"Aeka, battles bring about change. Not only do they bring tragedy, but they also bring forth a new beginning, usually for the better. This is one of those times. Because of this atrocity your father committed, he now sees things in a different light, and I believe he'll be more lenient with certain things. Funaho and myself will do our best to make him see things your way from now on."

"Thank you, mommy," Aeka said again, smiling. "Let's go home, shall we?"

Misaki smiled and nodded her head. "I think we should invite the remaining people of our fleet to the party. I'd like them to meet Tom and his crew, and I'd like to show your father how kind those people can be."

"If you think it's a good idea," Aeka said, unsure if this was the smart thing to do. "If you think they can get along with each other."

"I do. They're good people, Aeka. I think everything will work out just fine."

"Okay," she responded, turning toward the viewscreen. "Azaka, please find Russ's fighter and display for me."

"Yes, ma'am," he chimed, as the viewer flipped through several ships, and then focused on the Tie Defender.

"There's my love," she said, proudly. "I can't wait to see him again."

Misaki smiled as Ryu-oh made her way over to his fighter, and took up a position next to it as they entered Earth's atmosphere, heading home.

"We did it, Mihoshi," Kiyone said, closing her eyes and cradling her head with her hand, as she sat back in her seat. "I can't believe we won."

Mihoshi was all smiles and giggles, looking completely overwhelmed and happy. After an hour of fast and furious action, the battle had finally drawn to a close. It was quite amazing that they survived so easily. Their ship did take a beating, but it was still in one piece.

"I'll have to admit, this old bird is tough," Kiyone mumbled, patting the armrest. "We lost our shields a couple times, but we always managed to get them back up."

"Yay!" Mihoshi shouted, jumping up and down like a little kid. "That was so much fun! I blew up over fifty ships by myself!"

"This wasn't a shooting gallery, Mihoshi," Kiyone reminded her, becoming cross. "You not only blew up their ships, but killed fifty people today as well. That isn't something to be proud of or brag about," she said, hanging her head.

Stopping her enthusiasm, Mihoshi became quiet and solemn for a moment. "Yes, it's true. I wonder what our commanding officer is going to say about this. He's going to be asking for our report in fifteen minutes," she whined.

"IS IT THAT TIME ALREADY?!" Kiyone said, freaking out. "How in the hell am I going to fill out a report like this in fifteen minutes?! I'm so dead!" Taking on her typical demeanor, she sank into her chair, defeated.

"Don't worry, Kiyone. We'll just send them the recorded data on the battle and tell him what happened. They'll make a report themselves. Besides, this will probably be top security as well."

"Oh Mihoshi!" Kiyone wailed, crying. "We're going to be fired for doing battle against the Jurians, especially the Emperor himself! Not only are we jobless on Earth, we're going to be jobless with the Galaxy Police! Or worse, we'll be thrown into prison!"

"Stop it, Kiyone!" Mihoshi said, becoming stern. "Nothing is going to happen to us. There probably won't ever be a public report about this battle, and the Emperor was in the wrong, so they're not going to do a thing to us. And if they do, Misaki or Funaho will set the record straight."

"Maybe, but with our luck, I doubt it. We'll probably be facing a firing squad," she whined, pulling her green hair. "How do I get caught up in these messes?!"

Mihoshi giggled. "Once we fill out our report, we'll go down to Tenchi's house and join the party. That should take your mind off of everything."

Kiyone moaned to herself as she massaged her temples, feeling the onset of another headache. However, a flashing on her control panel and a quiet buzzer caught her attention, as her stress level somehow went higher than it was a moment ago.

"We have an incoming contact from Galaxy Police Headquarters!" Mihoshi informed her partner, flipping the switch and watching their commanding officer appear on the viewscreen.

"Greetings, ladies. You're looking spazzed as usual. What is your report for today?"

"I'm glad to see you're sitting down, because we have a lulu for you today. It is to be classified top secret," Mihoshi said, sitting down and preparing to explain the radical amount of action and destruction that had gone on for the day.

Zorpheus was standing near Tom, but apart from the rest of the party, eyeing the organ for the first time in his entire visit. Checking out the triple tier keyboard and the mass of buttons to mess with, he grinned.

"So Russ thinks he's hot stuff with this organ, eh? Not a bad looking one, but I think it's about time I show everyone who good I can play this baby. What do you think, Sasami?" he asked, looking down at the little princess.

Sasami gave him her usual, ultra cute smile and nodded her head. "Go for it!"

Turning around to face the rest of the party animals and cleared his voice, picking up the microphone to the karaoke machine, using it as an amplifier. "May I have everyone's attention, please?"

Within a few moments, everybody pretty much stopped what they were doing and eyed him expectantly, wondering what he was doing.

"For tonight's special treat, you all will have the pleasure of witnessing the wildly talented Zorpheus perform on this very organ! Feast your eyes and focus your ears on the beautiful sounds produced from these magnificent fingers!"

"Oh crap, here we go again," Russ muttered, rolling his eyes, causing Aeka to giggle happily.

Complete silence was granted as Zorpheus sat down on the bench and cracked his knuckles. Glancing back at the people, he made one more announcement. "This is just a little something that I heard a while ago, but it's something that I like to do for a warm-up."

Raising his hands over his head, he brought his fingers down on the keys, playing several loud pipe organ chords. Very familiar chords that caused Aeka, Mihoshi, and Washu's hearts to skip a beat, as they remembered that song all too well. But Ryoko, on the other hand, slowly approached Zorpheus from behind, a look of the devil in her eyes. A lightsword formed in her hand as she clenched it, grinding her teeth in rage from the sound. Slowly raising it over her head, her gaze bore down on top of Zorpheus's head, ready to hit a home run.

Sensing a surge of energy from behind him, Zorpheus stopped playing and looked at Ryoko, noticing that she was about to give him, quite literally, a splitting headache. "What…? It's only a warm-up! What's with the demonic look all of a sudden?" he asked, wondering why she had gotten so infuriated all of the sudden.

"You… YOU IDIOT!" she screamed, bringing her sword down in one, powerful, overhead strike.

Zorpheus disappeared from view as the orange sword came down and cleaved the organ bench in half, including everything that was stored inside of it. Off to the side, Zorpheus blinked his eyes, confused. "Hey, what's going on? Why the psychotic bitch act?"

"Uhm, Mr. Zorpheus?" Mihoshi said, finding her voice. "That song you started playing was something that this one bad man named Kagato played a lot. It reminds us of a lot of really bad memories, but it's the worst for Ryoko."

Staring at Mihoshi blankly, Zorpheus looked back at the enraged Ryoko as realization dawned on him. "Ho boy… Hey, don't take it out on me! How the hell was I supposed to know?!"

Within a second, Zorpheus began doing a teleporting dance all over the field, trying to avoid Ryoko's blade. Most of the partygoers pointed their fingers at the two and laughed, but returned to whatever it was they were doing afterwards.

"Russ! Get your butt over here and sing some Karaoke for us!" Tom bellowed, holding up his beer with one hand, and a microphone in the other. "You're the only one who hasn't sang yet, so it's your turn!"

"Ugh, you're drunk again," Russ growled, glaring at Tom. "I don't want to sing. I'm too embarrassed."

"Oh, for pity's sake, get over here and sing!" Aeka said, grabbing Russ by the arm and doing her best to pull him over to the machine. The organ was moved outside, as several people had played various tunes on it. Tom had brought down a set of amplifiers, replicators, and other equipment for the party, as he knew they'd be needed.

There were currently between five thousand and seven thousand people milling around Tenchi's household, and their yard was completely taken over. Everybody was partying and having a great time, even the defeated Jurians. King Asuza was seated over by his two wives, a beer in his hand. It was the first time he had a drink like that, and it was funny because he wound up liking it considerably. He was already on his fifth can and he looked a little flushed. Both Misaki and Funaho had a can of beer in their hands, but they were being a little more casual about consuming it.

After Ryoko calmed down a bit, Zorpheus decided to keep the fun going by teasing her like crazy. There was more than one occasion where she tried to cut his head off with her lightsword again, but Zorpheus kept ducking and dodging, as he continued to get her riled up. Tenchi was laid out on the porch, passed out from too much sake, so there was nobody there to stop him.

Kiyone and Mihoshi were both talking to a handful of the pilots from Alpha group, but they looked to be pretty drunk themselves. Kiyone was bawling about how rough her life had been ever since she came to know Mihoshi, and Mihoshi was just giggling away and having a blast. The men they were talking to simply enjoyed their company, not trying to hit on them or anything.

Katsuhito sat near Washu, a cup of sake in his hand. He looked a little flushed, but he was smiling and looked to be having a nice time. Washu, on the other hand, looked completely out of it, which was quite uncharacteristic of her. Within five minutes, she was snoring soundly, resting her head on Katsuhito's shoulder. Nobuyuki was nearby, but he was too busy videotaping everything to really take notice. He was having a great time.

Nagi was over by Tom, talking with him quite a bit. Maybe there was something brewing over there…

Sasami was by the Karaoke machine, waiting for Russ to come over and sing. "Come on, Russ! You're such a great singer. You have to sing for us!"

Looking like he was being marched to his death, Russ tried resisting Aeka's grip, but Tom had come over and pushed him toward the machine, not about to let him get away with not singing or making a fool of himself this evening.

"You're not being fair!" Russ whined, skidding along the ground. "Come on! Stop it!"

"Not a chance, loverboy. Hell, this should be your wedding! You and Aeka are so meant for each other that it makes me jealous! Do you know how long it's been since I've been jealous over anybody?!"

"Don't know, don't care," Russ snapped, shaking his head, still skidding along the ground from the force of Aeka pulling him and Tom pushing him. "Cut it out, you guys! I don't want to sing, especially in front of a group this blasted large!"

"Eat me!" Tom yelled, still pushing. "You had no problem playing the organ in front of half my ship that one time we went to the Startica Festival! This is no different!"

"Yes it is! I was playing the organ, not singing!" Russ retorted, now standing in front of the karaoke machine. He folded his arms over his chest and stood there stubbornly, not willing to make a fool of himself on this night.

"Please, Russ?" Aeka begged, her face completely red from a massive dose of sake. "Please sing for me."

"You're so drunk right now you probably wouldn't even remember it," Russ said, frowning. "Why should I do something that you're going to forget about later?"  
"Stop stalling and start singing!" Tom bellowed, thrusting the microphone in Russ's face.

"WOULD YOU CUT THAT OUT!?" Russ shouted, backing away from the microphone. "I don't want to sing!"

Suddenly, the area around him got relatively quiet, as they all turned their attention toward Russ. Grinning, Tom turned on the microphone and began his announcement to the masses.

"Russ is going to sing something to his girlfriend! Let's all give him a big round of applause!" Tom said, his voice echoing around the far reaches of the yard.

The crowd began chanting the word "Sing" over and over, and after a moment, Russ hung his head in defeat.

"Tom, you're a dead man once I'm done here," he snarled, grabbing the microphone out of Tom's hand and sitting down at the organ. "You and Zorpheus get to be my backup singers. Got it?"

"Why am I being dragged into this?" Zorpheus complained, glaring at Russ.

"Because I'll tear you apart if you don't," Russ returned, frowning.

The crowd became hushed after a moment, waiting to see what Russ was going to do.

Sighing to himself, Russ tried to smile as he turned on the organ, preparing to play the song he wanted to sing. Both Tom and Zorpheus picked up the extra microphones, preparing to sing along with him.

"You both know this song, so fill in where you're supposed to," Russ mumbled, looking at the two men who grinned at him.

Turning on his microphone, Russ tapped it a few times, testing it to make sure it was on. The thumping resonated throughout the yard. "This is something I was planning on playing for Aeka if we had ever gotten together. I guess now is as good of time as any. It's called 'I'll Be There – Ballade Version' originally sung by Megumi Hayashibara, in a Japanese Anime called Saber Marionette J. I felt that it was a very appropriate song, and I think it fits her and I very well. Well, here goes nothing…"

Happy things, fun things,

let's do a lot of them together.

Connected hand to hand...

exchanging promises.

When you're sad, when you're blue...

don't go off to be alone.

I'll always be by your side,

just think of me.

Strength is a very important thing...

but tears are important, too.

With a dried-up heart,

you can't do anything at all,

you can't feel a thing.

Tell my why do people hide...

what they really feel inside?

Take what you can do,

what you want to do,

one step at a time.

I love the way you don't care...

how you have been programmed to live.

I would follow you anywhere.

I'll never, ever let your hand go.

These wonderful things are making me excited,

lets make them happen more often,

I can believe in this power...

honestly.

Let's kiss and hold each other,

and feel the warmth.

Words are unnecessary,

I can feel the passion.

We were born to encounter each other,

crossing over a long, long time.

The excitement has started,

it's racing through my heart,

nobody can stop it.

Tell me why aren't people...

aware of their true feelings.

Things you like, people you care about,

it's as simple as that.

Even if we try to deceive or pretend not to see,

nothing will ever change,

so let's live honestly.

With our eyes...

looking forward.

Tell me why do people hide...

what they feel inside?

Take what you can do,

what you want to do...

one step at a time.

I love the way you don't care...

how you have been programmed to live.

I would follow you anywhere.

I'll never, ever let your hand go.

Once Russ finished, a huge cheer exploded from the crowd, causing Russ and Aeka to blush. However, that didn't stop Aeka from walking up to Russ, taking his face in her hands, and kissing him passionately on his lips. Another roar went up from the crowd and afterwards, was drowned out by applause. It made Aeka feel that special something, and Russ was able to feel it too. It felt wonderful.

Glancing back toward her father, she could see him watching the two of them, and to her utter amazement, Asuza raised his beer to her and nodded his head. Feeling the tears rush from her eyes, she turned toward Russ and squeezed him tightly, feeling happy and at peace. It was something she always wanted, and finally, it was something she had within her grasp.

Misaki was crying tears of happiness and Funaho was smiling happily, as they finally saw the true happiness radiate from her for what seemed like the very first time.

After partying the remaining day and the entire night, most of the people who had come down to the surface had passed out or dozed off under one of the several dozen fighters parked around the area. Everybody was contented and happy, even the Jurians. Everybody mingled well and enjoyed himself or herself, and it was one of the best victory parties that could've ever been held. Asuza was sleeping soundly on the living room couch, with Misaki in the loveseat and Funaho in the lazyboy recliner.

Russ and Aeka were sleeping soundly up in his room, Zorpheus and Sasami were still out cold in Aeka's room, Tenchi and Ryoko were still sawing logs in his room, and Washu was asleep on the porch, next to about five Jurian men who were also fell asleep, drunk. Nobuyuki was the only one awake at this early hour of nine in the morning, and he was holding his head, feeling the aftereffects of the sake from the night before. Trying to sit up, he set his room spinning as he somehow got himself into an upright position. Resting like that for a few moments, he got to his feet and headed toward the bathroom, being careful to avoid a handful of people who had fallen asleep in his hallway.

"Oh man, I'm wasted. I'm going to have to call into work and tell them I won't be in for today," he muttered, clutching his head. Nearly stumbling over one of the pilots from gold group, he managed to regain his footing and step over top of him. "That was one hell of a party."

Ryo-Ohki bounded up to him and watched him curiously, but she looked happy and contented.

"Well, hello there, Ryo-Ohki. What are you doing up so early?" he asked, smiling.

Ryo-Ohki meowed a few times, but Nobuyuki could never figure out what she wanted. "I still don't understand you, but do you want something to eat or drink?"

The cabbit nodded her head, and then ran downstairs.

"Cute little thing," he muttered. "I'll feed her then take a cold shower. That might get me going this morning. That, and a lot of coffee."

Trudging off toward the kitchen, he looked at Asuza, who had a little drool coming from a corner of his mouth. He looked so utterly ridiculous that he debated on getting his camera to take a picture so he could give it to Aeka later. Spying his bag on the table, he withdrew his camera, and after getting Funaho, Misaki, and Asuza in the shot, he took their picture. Fortunately for him, the flash didn't awaken them, and he grinned.

After putting his camera away, he went into the kitchen, got something for Ryo-Ohki to eat, and after that, went into the bathroom and took his shower. He knew it wouldn't be long before everybody woke up and the cleanup effort would begin.

"It's so incredible to have so many different people here," he said to himself, feeling the cold water run over his body. "Before Tenchi had met Ryoko and Aeka, I would've never thought that there were other races like us living in space. Now that I think about it, we're completely surrounded by aliens. The Jurians are aliens and all of Tom's crew are aliens. Who would've thought most of them would've turned out almost human?"

Turning off the water and feeling a little more invigorated, Nobuyuki dressed himself and left the bathroom, taking care to clean up after himself for the next person. However, upon exiting the bathroom, Katsuhito was seated at the table, nursing a cup of coffee.

Moving toward his step dad, Katsuhito looked up at him, a smile on his face, as he slid a fresh cup of coffee toward his stepson.

"Good morning," Katsuhito said, looking cheerful.

"Hi, dad. I'm surprised to see you up so bright and early," he answered, taking a seat next to his father, then filling his mouth with coffee.

"Being a Shinto priest makes you strong and immune to a lot of things," Katsuhito responded, grinning. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel like there is an army of little men doing roadwork in my head," Nobuyuki complained, trying to smile.

Chuckling, Katsuhito gently patted his stepson on the back. "It'll pass."

"Yeah."

Both of them sat in silence, looking at the mass of people around them. The entire yard was littered with people who had passed out or fell asleep right on the ground, but just about everyone had a smile on their face, even in their sleep. It looked like some unseen force mowed down an army of men.

"I'm so happy that Aeka and Russ have finally gotten together," Nobuyuki said, breaking the quietness. "I was getting very worried about the two of them, but they finally hit it off."

Katsuhito nodded, letting a smile onto his lips. "Yes. My little sister has finally found true happiness, and my parents finally approve of it. I can't believe everything that she has gone through. She is a strong woman. Much stronger than me," he said.

"She has gone though a lot," Nobuyuki agreed. "But it makes the taste of victory all the more sweeter, right dad?"

"Yes. Aeka has won her first great victory. But this battle has made her even stronger as a woman, and further still, as a leader. She'll go very far in life. Much further than myself."

Looking up at his stepfather, Nobuyuki saw the concern in his eyes. "Are you disappointed in yourself, dad?"

Glancing at Nobuyuki, he closed his eyes and sighed. "If you're asking if I have any regrets, no. But if you're asking if I am disappointed in things that I could've done, then yes. I was too afraid to stand up to father back then, and I'm still afraid to do it now."

"I see," he answered, looking down into his cup of coffee. "That reminds me. I wanted to ask you about something."

"What is it?"

"How come you've been training Tenchi so much harder over this past week? He usually only comes back with one or two bruises, but now he's coming back looking like he was turned into a punching bag. How come?"

"I will reveal that to Tenchi soon. There is something else out there… a great evil. It's coming. When it is coming, I do not know, but I do feel that something is going to happen."

"And you're trying to prepare Tenchi for it?"

"Yes. He is one of our greatest hopes. But now, we have two others."

Thinking for a moment, he came to a realization. "Russ and Zorpheus, right?"

Katsuhito nodded. "If they help us, our chances of victory become far, far greater."

Nobuyuki looked out of the window at the cloudless, blue sky, wondering what was waiting for them out there. What was waiting for his son, Tenchi? "What is going to happen, dad?"

"I do not know. I felt it for the second time when Zorpheus arrived, and the first time I felt it was when Clay kidnapped Ryoko. I don't know how to explain it, but I can feel something is amiss."

"You don't feel it now, do you?" Nobuyuki asked, looking concerned.

Katsuhito shook his head. "No. I don't feel anything right now. But both times that I did, something just didn't feel fight. I know what it is, and I will reveal it to Tenchi in time. There is a reason he was born, and there is a destiny that awaits him."

"Well, what? Stop talking in riddles, dad. You know I have a hard time following you when you do this," Nobuyuki complained, glaring at Katsuhito.

Looking over at his stepson, Katsuhito took in a deep breath and released it slowly. "All I know is a name. Lady Tokimi."

Waving to Tom as he climbed onboard his Tyderian Shuttle, everybody said his or her goodbyes as the ramp closed tight against the bottom of the shuttle with a hiss, and a few moments later, the vessel lifted off of the ground and began its journey back to the Star Destroyer.

The grounds were clean, but the grass was pressed flat in a lot of places, mainly where the people had fallen asleep or where a ship was situated. The only two fighters that remained on the ground were Russ's Tie Defender, Zorpheus's Toscan Fighter, and Aeka's ship, Ryu-Oh, which was seated in the lake.

It was calm and peaceful now, as everybody had gone home, leaving a trail of fireworks in the sky as they lifted off and returned to their ships. All of the Jurians had transported back to their vessels, except for Misaki, Funaho, and Asuza. They were preparing to leave as well, as they stood out on the dock, smiling warmly.

"Please come visit us again," Tenchi invited, holding Ryoko close.

"Thank you. We're terribly sorry for causing all of you so much trouble," Misaki apologized. "I sincerely hope that the next time we meet can be on much more enjoyable terms."

"I'm sure it will be," Tenchi returned, letting a relaxed smile on his face.

"Aeka?"

Looking at her father, she stood tall, wondering what he had to say. "Yes?"

"I'm… sorry… for everything that has happened yesterday. I've learned a valuable lesson, and I'm deeply sorry toward you, your family, and Russ. I will endeavor to become a better man because of all of this," he said, trying to smile. "I love you, Aeka, and I hope you'll come home soon. Until you do, please enjoy yourself. And Russ," he added, getting the saiyan's attention. "Please take care of Aeka and Sasami for me. I entrust them to your care."

"No need to worry about that, Emperor," Russ returned, feeling a little more relaxed around him than he had ever been. It was about time that the man started showing some respect.

"Sasami!! Be good!" Misaki called, waving her arms wildly.

The little princess stood next to Russ, taking his arm in her grasp and leaning against it, feeling warm and contented. "I will, mommy!" she called back.

Funaho waved to everybody, a smile on her face. "Please come by and see us once in a while," she invited. "We'll miss you!"

"Goodbye, mommy!" Aeka called, feeling completely embarrassed at having to call her mother that. Russ just stood by quietly, snickering to himself. Aeka heard him and slammed her foot down on Russ's, catching him by surprise.

"Oww! I'm sorry!" Russ yelped, trying to stop laughing.

Zorpheus was nearby, now chuckling to himself over Russ's misfortune. Turning his attention to the Royal Family, he waved his hand. "Take care of yourselves, ya hear?" he said, watching all of them become enveloped in an emerald ball of energy, as they were whisked away to their fleet, still parked behind the moon.

Aeka let out a deep breath and shook her head. "I'm glad THAT's over," she muttered, blushing.

"Oh man, I feel like I could sleep for a week," Russ complained, slumping over.

"Finally, peace and quiet," Ryoko mumbled, rubbing her body against Tenchi.

Katsuhito, Nobuyuki, Washu, Sasami, Ryoko, Tenchi, Zorpheus, and Ryo-Ohki, all went back inside the house, leaving Russ and Aeka out by the dock, feeling the cool, summer breeze move around their bodies. Sitting down and removing his boots, Russ stuck his feet into the warm water, feeling relaxed and finally almost stress free.

Aeka sat down next to him and removed her shoes, sticking her feet into the waters along with Russ, leaning up against him, feeling sleep tug at her from the back of her mind. Letting out a contented sigh, she gazed up into Russ's face, and without another word, he bent down and kissed her gently, then held her tenderly.

"It's been one hell of a week for us, hasn't it?" he said, quietly, feeling the tranquility around him.

"Yes. I'm so happy that its over, and I'm even happier that I can spend it with you."

Blushing slightly, Russ turned toward her and saw the genuine smile on her lips and the sparkle in her eyes. "Thank you, Aeka. I've never known another person like you before. I'm very happy that you wanted me of all people."

"That's a silly thing to say," Aeka returned, giggling. "You're a perfect man in my eyes, and I love you with all my heart. For the longest time I've wanted this, and I've wanted it almost since I laid eyes on you. I don't know why you wanted to push me away, but I'm glad you finally opened your eyes to see what you would've been missing."

"I am too, Aeka. And I feel a lot better now that your dad has seemingly accepted me for who I am. I never thought it would've come to what it did, but I'm happy the outcome of it was acceptable," Russ said, swishing his feet around, listening to the water gurgle around his ankles. "But I don't want a throne. I'm not a leader, and I don't want to be. You, on the other hand, are the embodiment of a perfect leader. One day, I want you to return to your home, so you can put that leadership to good use."

"Only if you'll go with me," Aeka returned, closing her eyes and resting her head on his shoulder.

Russ smiled. "I'd be honored to go with you, Aeka. But I can't sit next to you up on the throne."

Now it was Aeka's turn to grin. "I'll change your mind one of these days," she mumbled out, getting very, very comfortable. Feeling sleep wrap its warm tendrils around her, she began to succumb to its effects, feeling safe, warm, and happy. "You and I will rule the Empire, side by side."

Deciding not to argue with her and ruin the mood, Russ continued to cradle his beloved, as she drifted off into a peaceful doze. "I love you Aeka, and I will do anything I can to make you smile and be happy. That is what I want, and that is what I will do," he whispered, kissing her on the top of her head.

Remaining like that until the sun passed behind the mountain, they looked like what should be in a painting, to be kept forever and ever.

"Kienzen Disc!" Zorpheus shouted, throwing the yellow Frisbee at Russ, who dodged it effortlessly. It sailed into the atmosphere and vanished as it ran out of energy.

Pulling down his right eye with his middle finger, he did a combination of flipping Zorpheus the bird and giving him a raspberry. "You suck," he returned, taunting him further.

"I'm going to tear you a new one!" Zorpheus snarled, zanzokening toward Russ and swinging his foot at his opponent's head. Unfortunately, he didn't hit anything as his foot hit nothing but air.

"Too slow," Russ teased, grinning. "Thank you, come again."

"Dammit, shut up and stand still so I can pound you!" Zorpheus shot back, punching and kicking rapidly at Russ, who dodged, parried, and countered all of his blows.

"Come on, man! We're not super saiyans, so this should be a piece of cake for you!" Russ returned, watching Zorpheus breathe harder and harder.

"That's easy for you to say! You're used to practicing at two thousand times gravity! I'm not!" he complained, stopping his offense and collapsing to his knees next to the lake.

The moonlight shone down brightly, illuminating the area in pale light, but it was plenty bright enough to see clearly. There was no wind, and the lake looked like a sheet of perfectly flat glass. It was quiet, aside from the racket Zorpheus and Russ were causing. It was getting late, and they were about ready to wrap it up for the night.

"Quit your complaining, Zorphy," Russ said, landing on the ground in front of him. "You did good for today. Lets take a bath and call it quits, what do you say?"

"I was just getting warmed up too," Zorpheus muttered, getting back to his feet, but he collapsed back onto his bottom. "Oh man, what a day. Yesterday we went through hell fighting the Jurians, and today, you're putting me through hell with this gravity enhancer. I need a break."

"You really don't DO anything, Zorph," Russ reminded him. "You don't help out with chores or anything. You just pull all-nighters with Washu in her lab. What are you guys doing in there, anyway?"

Grinning evilly, the moonlight reflected off his eyes as he raised his index finger. "Now that… is a secret," he said, trying to keep from laughing.

"Bite me!" Russ returned, hauling Zorpheus to his feet. "Come on, let's go inside and… huh?" Russ said, glancing at the lake. "Do you feel that?"

"Yeah," he returned, looking in the same exact spot. "What is it?"

"I've felt that before, but I always felt it from Sasami. Why am I feeling it out here?" Russ wondered, as he watched a sakura petal drift down from a nearby tree and land in the water, sending ripples out from its landing place.

"What the hell?!" Zorpheus and Russ said, seeing a ghostlike image of someone appear at the water's edge, where the petal had fallen into the water.

Standing there in silence, they both stared at a beautiful girl, seemingly in her late teens or early twenties, with gorgeous pink eyes, hair the color of the sky, and robes that flowed like the sands of a desert. She smiled as she folded her hands in front of her, trying to keep from blushing.

"Uhhh…" Russ muttered, trying to figure out what the heck was going on. "Excuse me? Who are you?"

"My name is Tsunami," she said, her voice light, soft, and incredibly pleasant.

Zorpheus's eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets, but he recovered a nanosecond later. "Hey babe! Do you have a boyfriend?" he asked, being incredibly blunt.

"What?" she asked, stunned.

Clubbing Zorph over his head, Russ put him in a headlock. "Just ignore him," he said, trying to laugh.

"Get me out of his headlock or I'll break your arms," Zorpheus growled.

"Only if you behave," Russ returned.

"Come on man! That girl is HOT!" he whined, struggling to get out of Russ's vice-like grip. "Let go, already!"

As the two saiyans wrestled with each other, Tsunami stood by silently, a look of amusement creasing her lips. "Um, excuse me?" she asked, trying to get their attention.

Stopping their tirade, Russ released Zorpheus and moved toward the waters edge, noticing that he could see right through her. "Are you a ghost?"

"Forget that. I want to know if she thinks I'm studly!" Zorpheus said, pressing Russ's head down between his legs. "How 'bout it, sweetie? You and me go get ourselves a bite to eat or something?"

"Zorpheus!!" Russ snarled, throwing him about fifteen feet into the air. "Knock it off already! Stop trying to flirt with every pretty face you see!"

"Says the guy who has a girlfriend. I can flirt with whomever I want," he said, returning to the ground, taking care to plant an elbow straight in the middle of Russ's head. "Well? Would you like to go out sometime, good lookin?"

Cringing from the blow, Russ grabbed Zorpheus's arm and twisted it over his head, dropping Zorpheus to one of his knees, and by pressing down on his back, caused his face to go straight into the grass. Jumping on top of him and holding him there, Russ looked up at Tsunami and smiled.

With her forehead covered in sweatdrops, she cleared her throat and prepared to explain herself. "You two are Russ and Zorpheus, are you not?" she asked.

"I'm Russ," he said, introducing himself. "This person with his face in the dirt is Zorpheus. How do you do?" Feeling his body elevate several feet off of the ground, Zorpheus picked his face up out of the dirt and rested it in the palm of his hand, looking dreamily at Tsunami.

"Damn, you're pretty," he said, ogling her.

"If you don't stop that…" Russ warned, keeping his voice low.

"Stop what? Go bugger off and go screw Aeka or something. I've got things covered here JUST fine," he said, continuing to stare lustfully at her.

Tsunami couldn't help but start giggling at his antics, but she shook her head. "I'm sorry, but I'm not here for that," she said.

"Aww! Come on!" Zorpheus encouraged. "Just one dinner! It's on me!"

"Turned down flatter than a pancake once again I see," Russ said, still sitting on Zorpheus's back.

"Doesn't help that you put me through a freakin' pro wrestling match while I'm trying!" Zorpheus sneered, glaring over his shoulder.

Again, Tsunami started giggling, completely amused. "Listen. I'm not a human. I am from Jurai, but my name is Tsunami. If you know anything about Jurian history, you would know that I am one of the three goddesses of legend."

"OOOOOOHHH! She's a goddess too?! Come on, Russ! Let me up!" Zorpheus complained, starting to struggle again.

"Just lay there and shut up," Russ said, pushing his face back into the grass. "Sorry about that. Please continue."

"Are you two really the strongest people alive?" she asked, doubt written all over her face.

"That's us," Russ answered, proudly. "Although we aren't the strongest alive, we're the strongest that most people have ever known."

"I see," she responded, watching the two of them.

"Before you explain whatever it is that you came here to tell us, can you tell me why I can sense your energy from Sasami every once in a while?"

"I had merged with Sasami a long time ago," she said, recalling the instance where Sasami had fallen from the catwalk and landed on a rock, splitting her head open. "She was near death, so I merged myself with her to save her life. We currently have separate minds right now, but in time, we will fully merge. What you are seeing right now is what Sasami will grow up to be in the future."

"GOD DAMN, she's going to be a little hottie!" Zorpheus said, somehow resisting Russ's iron grip on the back of his head, resuming his stare-fest.

"If you don't stop this crap, Zorph, I'm going to really hurt you," Russ warned, reaching the maximum limit of his annoyance level and patience.

"FINE! Geez," he growled, tossing Russ off of his back and getting to his feet. "But please, take everything that I have said as a compliment, and if you ever want to go out sometime, feel free to look me up," Zorpheus invited.

"I'll… keep that in mind," she said, clearing her throat. "I have come to tell you about a great evil that I will be facing. I really don't have many details to describe to you all, but the reason I'm here is to ask for your help."

"What kind of great evil?" Russ asked, curious.

"As you know, there are three goddesses that rule this universe, who are linked with Jurai. Only one of the goddesses remains a true goddess, and she is the one who I must face. I cannot do it alone. I already have help, but I still worry that it won't be enough."

"Whoa… wait a minute. You want us to fight a goddess?" Russ said, concerned. "Uhhh… that's not quite my cup of tea, if you know what I mean. I've fought radically powerful beings, but never a god or a goddess. Who is this help that you have to fight against her anyway?"

Falling silent for a moment, she looked off toward the house, and looked straight at Tenchi through the windows.

"You've got to be kidding," Zorpheus said, looking in the same direction. "Tenchi is the only help you've got?"

Nodding her head slowly, she turned her gaze back onto the two super saiyans. "Yes. You see, he is not fully human. His creation, or his birth, was destined to happen."

"You made it happen?" Russ said, eyeing her.

"Yes," she answered. "Tenchi is special in comparison with other Jurians. It is true that he is the child of both Achika and Nobuyuki, but I had a hand in his creation as well. That is one reason why he is so much more powerful than everybody else is. He was born for this single, solitary purpose. That is why he is surrounded by the most powerful warriors this universe has ever known."

"Wait, wait, wait," Russ said, becoming slightly irritated. "You created a life to help you fight at your side against a goddess?"

"Yes," she answered again. "This was his destiny even before he was created. He is infused with the blood of a goddess. My blood," she said, looking down at the water. "I cannot fight my sister alone. The reason I have appeared here in front of you is to ask you for your help. I did not foresee either of your arrivals, but you two are like a blessing in disguise. Both of you far surpass even my wildest dreams in terms of fighting prowess and raw energy. I need all the help I can get."

Russ and Zorpheus both looked at each other, growing concerned.

"Okay, so, you need our help to fight a goddess," Zorpheus said, counting one of the points on his finger. "You want us to destroy or kill this goddess? What exactly is it that you want us to do?"

"You cannot kill an immortal being," Tsunami reminded him. "Even if you destroy their body, they will be reborn as something else."

"Dammit, so how are we supposed to stop this person?" Zorpheus asked, growing flustered.

"Hey, hold on a minute! Who said anything about fighting a goddess? Isn't this something that you're supposed to do alone, Tsunami?" Russ objected, worried.

"It is, but I cannot do it alone," she admitted, hanging her head. "I have fallen from my pedestal in the goddess realm, and I was reborn as a tree before I merged with Sasami. I do not have the power necessary to defeat my sister."

Again, Zorpheus and Russ looked at each other.

Looking at her silently, Russ looked into her eyes, and could see the desperation there. He could see that she really needed help, and apparently that this great evil that was looming over their heads was really bad… or something.

"Zorpheus?" she called, glancing at him.

"Change your mind about that date, sweetie?" he asked, watching her recoil in shock. "I'm kidding!" he said, laughing.

Recovering a moment later, a smile crept onto her lips. "Do you know who altered your mind to make you fight against Russ?" she asked.

Suddenly becoming dead serious, he looked straight at her, almost causing her to recoil in surprise again. "Are you telling me you know who did it?"

Nodding her head, she gazed into Zorpheus's red eyes. "Yes. It is the same goddess whom I will be facing."

"Are you serious?!" he asked, clenching his fist. "The same person who altered me is this evil that you'll be facing?"

"Yes."

"Oh, you just recruited yourself your first mercenary," he snarled, smacking his fist into his open palm. "Whoever messed with my head is in for a major beating."

Russ stood by, wondering what all this was about. "What is this evil goddess planning on doing? Why must we face her, and why did she alter Zorpheus to fight me?"

Taking a deep breath, she let it out slowly, folding her arms in front of her. "She is planning the complete and utter annihilation of this entire universe and everything in it," she said, watching their stone cold reactions. "She altered Zorpheus to keep you two from becoming allies again and fighting against her. She had hopes that you two would've destroyed yourselves."

"So she's afraid of us," Zorpheus muttered, looking over at Russ. "We're in this, right?"

Closing his eyes and wondering what he was about to get himself into, Russ nodded his head. "Yeah. I'm in. I will help you fight this great evil."

"Thank you," she answered, breathing a huge sigh of relief. "With your help, victory is almost assured."

"Almost?" Zorpheus said, grinning. "How many other hunks of beef do you know besides us?"

Giggling harder, Tsunami couldn't help but smile at all of his advances. "It'll just be you, Russ, and Tenchi at my side. That is why he has been training with a sword for so long. Lord Yosho knows of the impending danger, and has taken it upon himself to train Tenchi in the ways of light. He has done admirably well, and I must thank him for that."

"I see," Russ answered, looking thoughtful. "So THAT's why he always trains with his grandfather. I had asked Tenchi once or twice as to why he does that but he never had a definite answer. I guess he never knew either."

"That's correct. He will be told everything in the near future. The point of his existence, the future that lies ahead for him, and everything else that needs to be told will be revealed to him very, very soon. As of right now, we never wanted to burden him with those thoughts, so we've kept it a secret and allowed him to live a full and happy life."

"I understand, but I don't like it," Russ said, glaring at Tsunami. "To you, he's nothing more than a tool to help you fight this goddess, right?"

Looking at him in shock, Tsunami shook her head. "No. That's not entirely true. I blessed him with the power of Jurai. That is all I have done. However, once he helps me defeat my sister, then he will be free to return to his normal life. With you two on my side, it should be a lot easier."

"Feh," Russ muttered, shaking his head. "You're using him to your own ends. I always hated things like that."

Tsunami lowered her head in shame. "I'm sorry that you feel that way, but I had to do something to stop my sister."

"So you created a life as a tool to help you defeat her?" Russ replied, getting angry.

"Russ, stop it," Zorpheus said, looking concerned. "Everybody and everything has a destiny or a purpose in life. It's just that Tenchi's purpose is far greater than most. He will fulfill his purpose in life alongside Tsunami, and us. We'll do fine."

"I guess, but I still don't like the idea of pre-destiny. It just pisses me off," Russ growled, looking toward the house at Tenchi, who was seated on the couch next to Ryoko, Aeka, and Sasami.

"Please, forgive me," Tsunami said, looking unhappy.

Russ sighed. "Forget about it. I know it happens, but it isn't your fault."

"Thank you," she responded, feeling better.

"I have just one last question before you go," Russ said, glancing at her.

"What is it?" she asked, looking concerned.

"Whom shall we be fighting against?"

"You will be facing my sister, Lady Tokimi."

Zorpheus's eyes widened considerably. "Washu had said the same thing," he said, bewildered.

Russ glanced at him, and then at Tsunami. "What will you have us do?"  
"I do not know yet. Unless she makes a move, I have no way of knowing where she is," she answered, seemingly ashamed and powerless. Looking up at Zorpheus and Russ, she smiled. "I will call upon you when I need your help. Until that time, please enjoy life and do not worry about the coming of the storm. I will tell you when the time is right."

"If you say so," Zorpheus said, shrugging his shoulders. "Now, about that dinner date…" he added, grinning slyly.

Russ fell to the ground, embarrassed to be Zorpheus's comrade. "How in the world did I get stuck with such a playboy as my best friend anyway?" he muttered.

Zorpheus, Russ, and Tsunami talked for a while longer, asking her questions about herself, Tenchi, and their purpose. The storm of Tokimi was coming, but that is a story for another time.

WELL! THIS IS IT! I hope you all have greatly enjoyed the story as much as I had writing it. I hope you enjoyed the ending, as that is what I had swimming around inside my head for the past six months. Originally, I was just going to have the battle between Russ and Zorpheus with a chapter after it, but I was unsure as to how to end this one. It took some thinking, but I think this was the best way to leave the door open for a sequel. Whether or not I produce one is up to how much free time I wind up with, but honestly, I wouldn't count on it. I'm just overwhelmed and happy that I was able to finish this story. There are so many good ones out there, but a lot of them unfinished. It's always disappointing, so I did not want to do the same thing here.

This story has taken me the better part of a year to complete… probably a little longer, but I'm VERY pleased with the outcome and how much my writing skills have improved. I'm still debating on re-doing the first chapters to update the continuity and feel, but we'll see. I may just leave them the way they are, as they do the job pretty well already (even though I think they're terrible. )

This story will not be published, as it contains copyrighted characters and attacks from various other series, such as Tenchi Muyo, Dragonball Z, and various others. This story is completed on September 20, 2002. I've only been able to see DBZ on cartoon network, so any irregularities that may crop up after this date are the result of ignorance. I did visit a website known as Planet Namek, but it has since shut down. They had a LOT of information on DBZ, and that is where my primary source of information has come from. Whether or not you agree with it or not is none of my business, but please don't tell me that I'm wrong. I don't find that very fair. Who's to say that you're correct?

But anyway, if you wish to contact me in regard to the story and or the website, feel free to email me at , or visit the website at .net or .net:81 I hope to get back to work on the website since this monster of a story is now finished.

Once again, I wish to give a huge, monstrous, enormous, THANK YOU! To everybody who has supported me while I've been writing this sucker, sending me emails of encouragement and compliments. I appreciate it all, and I've always taken care to respond to nearly everything. If you have a question about the story, feel free to email me about it. I tried to cover most of the plot holes within the story, but I may have still missed a few. Nevertheless, if you've read it this far, I really hope you enjoyed it all and felt that it was a fantastic read.

A big Thank You goes out to Zorpheus, who shall remain anonymous in your eyes. He helped me out considerably with the last two chapters and I appreciate all the effort he put forth for me.

Thank you, all of you, for your support, compliments, and even criticism.

*Takes a bow, imagining the audience screaming, Encore!!! * Heheheh. My fantasies.


End file.
